What does Kaito mean?
Kaito commonly joins the kanji for “sea/ocean” with “soar” or “fly.”
What does Kenji mean?
Kenji is written variously as “healthy, strong” or “wise” together with “rule” or “two.”
Kaito vs Kenji
Which is more popular?
Kenji is more popular than Kaito today: about 249 US babies were given the name Kenji in 2025, compared with 71 named Kaito.
| Kaito | Kenji | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ocean; soar | Strong; wise ruler |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KY-toh | KEN-jee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1994 | 1913 |
| Peak year | 2022 (84) | 2022 (337) |
| In 2025 | 71 | 249 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Kaito
Kenji
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Kaito | Kenji |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 426 | 1,692 |
| 2010s | 463 | 1,292 |
| 2000s | 293 | 889 |
| 1990s | 53 | 423 |
| 1980s | 0 | 359 |
| 1970s | 0 | 430 |
| 1960s | 0 | 104 |
| 1950s | 0 | 18 |
| 1940s | 0 | 23 |
| 1930s | 0 | 96 |
| 1920s | 0 | 213 |
| 1910s | 0 | 85 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kaito or Kenji more popular?
Kenji is more popular than Kaito today: about 249 US babies were given the name Kenji in 2025, compared with 71 named Kaito.
What is the difference between Kaito and Kenji?
Kaito means Ocean; soar (Japanese origin), while Kenji means Strong; wise ruler (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Kaito or Kenji?
In US records, Kaito first appears in 1994 and Kenji in 1913, so Kenji has the longer recorded history.