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