| Keahi | Kai | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The fire | sea |
| Origin | hawaiian | hawaiian |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | keh-AH-hee | KY |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1926 |
| Peak year | 2016 (17) | 2022 (5,374) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 3,768 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Keahi | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 74 | 26,927 |
| 2010s | 134 | 25,984 |
| 2000s | 89 | 12,620 |
| 1990s | 27 | 2,640 |
| 1980s | 5 | 958 |
| 1970s | 0 | 592 |
| 1960s | 0 | 341 |
| 1950s | 0 | 148 |
| 1940s | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 6 |
| 1920s | 0 | 6 |
Hawaiian name combining the definite article 'ke' with 'ahi' ('fire'), literally 'the fire'. Listed as unisex by Behind the Name.
Most commonly taken from Hawaiian 'kai', meaning 'sea' or 'ocean'. The same short sound exists independently in several languages (Japanese, Scandinavian forms of names like Kajus, and others), but its modern Western popularity leans on the Hawaiian 'sea' meaning.
Kai is more popular than Keahi today: about 3,768 US babies were given the name Kai in 2025, compared with 0 named Keahi.
Keahi means The fire (hawaiian origin), while Kai means sea (hawaiian origin).
In US records, Keahi first appears in 0 and Kai in 1926, so Keahi has the longer recorded history.