The name Kei is a boy's name of Japanese origin meaning "blessing, wise, intelligent, gemstone; horn, victory or the people".

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A succinct Japanese with plenty of positive meanings, Kei can denote wisdom, celebration, and excellence, along with (square) gemstones and Japanese Judas-trees, depending on which kanji is used. In recent years, it has become notably feminine leaning in Japan, often as a short form of Keiko. It is however unisex and may also be used as shorten version of Keita, Keisuke, Keisaku, and more.
 
Pronounced as KEH in Japanese, the name may nevertheless be used as a variation of the popular Kai (KYE) owing to its alterative Frisian roots. Used as a pet form of Cornelius or Nicolaas, it may also be spelled as Keij or Key.
 
Kei also appears in the name of a river in South African, The Great Kei River, which possibly comes from a Khoisan word meaning "sand". Additionally, it features in some versions of Arthurian legend, as an alternative spelling of Sir Kay's name. 
 
Notable bearers of the name include poet and writer Kei Miller, tennis player Kei Nishikori, and Kei from the manga series Akira.

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Japanese

The name Kei peaked for boys at #3401 in 2015. The name is most popular in California, California, and California. Kei is occasionally used for girls in 2023.

The name Kei is a girl's name of Japanese origin meaning "blessing, excellent, respect, wise, jewel".

3 Letter Girl Names

Names Ending in I for Girls

One Syllable Names for Girls

Girl Dog Names That Start With K

A succinct and simple Japanese name with a variety of good meanings, Kei is a unisex choice that has been leaning feminine in recent years, thanks to the popularity of longer form Keiko. Pronounced as KEH (not to rhyme with Kai), it can relate to wisdom, jubilation, excellence, and gemstones, depending on which kanji is used.
 
Also the name of a river in South Africa (from a Khoisan word meaning "sand"), as well as a Frisian nickname (pronounced as KYE and typically masculine), Kei may be used to refer to a category of small cars and trucks in Japan.
 
South Korean singer, Kim Ji-yeon, uses Kei as her stage name.

The name Kei peaked for girls at #6516 in 1980. Kei is occasionally used for boys in 2025.

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	#4,077	25	13
2015	#3,401	33	17.2
2016	#3,647	30	15.8
2017	#4,180	25	13.5
2018	#4,154	25	13.8
2019	#4,562	22	12.3
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	#4,166	26	15.2
2024	#4,624	22	12.8
2025	—	0	0

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