Fun Facts About the Name Kairi
- More than 6 thousand babies named Kairi: U.S. records list 6,823 babies given the name Kairi from 1880 through 2025. Even 569 boys received the name Kairi - about 1 boy for every 11 girls.
What Does the Name Kairi Mean?
Kairi is used as a feminine given name in Estonian and as a unisex name in Japanese. In Estonian, Kairi is generally treated as a variant of Kaire, a short form of Katariina, the Estonian form of Katherine. Katherine's traditional meaning is "pure," though the Greek name Aikaterine behind it has no certain etymology; the "pure" sense comes from a later association with Greek katharos. In Japanese, Kairi is written with kanji chosen by the parents, so it has no single meaning. One possible combination is 海 (kai, "sea") + 里 (ri, "village"), but other characters, such as 花 (ka, "flower") or 佳 (ka, "good"), can also be used, and the name may be given to boys or girls.
Kairi Name History & Origins
In Estonia, Kairi belongs to a group of feminine names formed from the international Christian name Katherine. Through German and church usage, Katherine produced Estonian forms such as Katariina, Kadri, Katre, and the shorter Kaire; Kairi is one of the variants in that family. It is used in Estonia alongside similar names like Kaire and Kai, within the Christian naming tradition rather than as a pre-Christian Estonian name.
In Japan, Kairi is a given name that can be written with various kanji. Because Japanese names are usually chosen for the meanings of their characters, the name's sense changes with the spelling; the sound alone does not carry a fixed meaning. The name is also familiar outside Japan through the character Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video game series, which debuted in 2002. That is a well-known literary use, not evidence of the name's origin or earliest documented use.
How Popular is the Name Kairi?
Kairi recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2019. Its best rank was #689 in 2019.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,041 | 239 | 0.0149% |
| 2024 | #1,030 | 244 | 0.0151% |
| 2023 | #987 | 259 | 0.0162% |
| 2022 | #928 | 291 | 0.0178% |
| 2021 | #856 | 320 | 0.0195% |
| 2020 | #831 | 329 | 0.0204% |
| 2019 | #689 | 421 | 0.0251% |
| 2018 | #714 | 402 | 0.0236% |
| 2017 | #781 | 352 | 0.0204% |
| 2016 | #827 | 347 | 0.0196% |
| 2015 | #769 | 368 | 0.0206% |
| 2014 | #889 | 306 | 0.0171% |
| 2013 | #862 | 300 | 0.0171% |
| 2012 | #885 | 299 | 0.0170% |
| 2011 | #950 | 271 | 0.0154% |
| 2010 | #960 | 267 | 0.0150% |
| 2009 | #1,096 | 233 | 0.0127% |
| 2008 | #1,084 | 241 | 0.0127% |
| 2007 | #1,079 | 244 | 0.0127% |
| 2006 | #1,199 | 202 | 0.0106% |
| 2005 | #1,866 | 104 | 0.0056% |
| 2004 | #1,814 | 105 | 0.0057% |
| 2003 | #1,995 | 91 | 0.0050% |
| 2002 | #10,631 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #16,213 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #11,096 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,958 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 2024 | #3,010 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2023 | #2,916 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2022 | #2,808 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2021 | #5,021 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #3,304 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2019 | #3,952 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2018 | #3,835 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2017 | #5,402 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #5,916 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #5,399 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #6,845 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #7,289 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #6,488 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #7,787 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #10,209 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #9,428 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #10,459 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #7,880 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #6,677 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #10,654 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #6,493 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #6,312 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #6,706 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #7,821 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #6,812 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #6,564 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #7,693 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #7,546 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #5,703 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #9,105 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #8,792 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1982 | #5,313 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #6,780 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,227 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #5,482 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #3,605 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #3,149 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #5,605 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kairi Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Kairi's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kairi's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.