Cool Girls' Names Starting with K

Kiara

English variation of Chiara, Italian, Ciara, Irish, or Aboriginal Australian, Korean

"light, clear; little dark one; cockatoo; first ray of sun"

Kiara can be considered a variation of both the Italian name Chiara and the Irish name Ciara. Chiara is the Italian form of Clara, meaning "bright" or "clear," while Ciara is the feminine form of…

Kamila

Latin, Arabic

"young ceremonial attendant; perfect"

Variant spelling of Camila, common in Eastern Europe. Kamila and Kamilah are also feminine forms of the Arabic name Kamil, meaning "perfect".

Kayla

Hebrew

"crown, wreath; fortress; who is like God?"

Kayla is a modern invented name that emerged in the late 1950s. It may have been inspired by the similar sounding Michaela, though it could equally have come about as a combination of the then…

Kira

Russian feminine variation of Cyrus

"throne"

Though such cognates of Kira as Keira, Kyra, and Ciara are increasingly popular throughout Europe and in the U.S., this Cyrus relative has a different root. As with all the many variations of this…

Kaitlyn

Spelling variation of Caitlin

"pure"

A huge name in the late 90's and most of the 00's, Kaitlyn's been on a downward trend in recent years. Kaitlyn and its soundalikes have been so well used in the US that they can no longer be seen as…

Kyle

Scottish

"narrow spit of land"

Not as popular for girls as Kylie or Kyla, but we prefer its simplicity.

Kacie

English variation of Casey, Irish

"brave in battle"

A respelling of Casey, with a slightly softer look and a hint of classic Katie about it. It ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 80s and 80s, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Less popular than it once…

Kassandra

Original spelling of Cassandra

Kassandra is actually the original form of Cassandra (Greek names do not have C s), though most will see it as a Kardashianization, which is a shame! As you might expect, the C currently charts…

Kelsea

Kelsea is a feminine name that originated as a variant spelling of Kelsey, which began as an English surname derived from place names meaning 'Cenel's island' or 'ship's island.' This alternative…

Kerrie

Kerrie is a feminine name that originated as a variant spelling of Kerry, which derives from the Irish Gaelic 'Ciarraí,' referring to the county in Ireland. The name carries associations with the…

Karissa

Spelling variation of Carissa

Both Karissa and Carissa are trending downward, along with the other issa names that first rose to popularity in the 1970s. Karissa fell out of the Top 1000 in 2014, two years after Carissa.

Kaya

Scandinavian, English, Literature, Japanese

"pure; one who arranges rocks; perfume, incense; fruit, reward"

A multicultural name, that's currently on style and fits right in with Kaia, Maya, Raya, and Mia. Currently in the Top 500 in both the UK and The Netherlands, it has several different origins and…

Kari

Norwegian diminutive of Katarina or variation of Carrie, English

"pure; free man"

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either Catherine Katherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or…

Karrie

Karrie is a feminine name typically considered a variant of Caroline or Karen, with Germanic roots meaning "free woman." This spelling with a 'K' and double 'r' emerged in the mid-20th century,…

Kirsten

Scandinavian variation of Christine

Lovely, authentic name -- but any Kirsten will be condemned to a lifetime of hearing "Did you say Kristen?" They're both genuine Scandinavian names but too interchangeable.

Kalinda

Hindi

"sun"

This lovely, rhythmic Hindu nature name relates to the mythical Kalinda Mountains, from which a sacred river flows. Kalinda Sharma is a major character on the TV show The Good Wife , making Kalinda…

Kallista

Greek

"most beautiful"

Actress Flockhart popularized the C version, but this works, too.

Kalen

Kalen is a versatile feminine name with multiple cultural origins. It can be a variation of Kalin (Slavic, meaning "pure") or derived from the Greek name Kalene, meaning "beautiful." Some also…

Karah

Karah is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant spelling of Cara (Italian for "beloved"), Kara (derived from various languages including Irish for "friend" or Turkish for…

Karmela

Karmela is a feminine name representing a variation of Carmela, which derives from Hebrew origins meaning "garden" or "vineyard of God." This name has roots in multiple cultures including Spanish,…