Kaizen

Kai is one of the hottest names out there in recent years, climbing quickly into the Top 100. This combined with a surge of Japanese names gaining popularity in the US, like Kenji, Raiden, and Kenzo, and you've got a hit. Kaizen is of Japanese origin meaning "good change" — a term used for the Japanese business practice of continuous improvement in performance. It entered the US charts for the first time in 2022, and was among the fastest-rising names in 2023 as well.

Kaizen is also given to girls, where it ranks #16037 in the US.

Pronounced KY-zen.

As of October 2026, Kaizen ranked #16037 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #10624 in 2024.