Cairo

Cairo for boys#341 US

The name derives from the Arabic al-Qāhirah, the name given to the Egyptian city in 969 AD by the Fatimid dynasty. With the meanings "conqueror" or "vanquisher", it was named to celebrate the strength of the dynasty. Today, Cairo is a busy city, a site of historical importance, with ancient buildings and museums but also contemporary architecture and film festivals.

As a given name, Cairo owes its sudden popularity to its choice by rapper Tyga for his son King Cairo's middle name. And Brazilian place kicker Cairo Santos helped popularize the name when he joined the Chicago Bears football team. Santos is named for his father, also Cairo.

Another influence propelling Cairo up the ladder: the popularity of the name Kai. And Cai could certainly be a nickname for Cairo.

Trending upwards in the UK and continuing to climb in the US, Cairo has also been joined in the charts by spelling variations, Kairo and Kyro, and is also given to nearly 50 girls each year. When you combine all these Cairos together, it was given to nearly 3000 babies in a recent year, making it feel like a name around the #120 mark, similar in popularity to Jasper, Emmett, or Milo.

Cairo for girls#4085 US

On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.

The name of the ancient city was derived from the Arabic term al-Kahira, meaning "the strong" or "the conqueror", and the name puts in mind a bustling city, museums, and ancient history.