What does Ren mean?
Ren is often written with the kanji for “lotus” or “love,” depending on the characters.
What does Kaito mean?
Kaito commonly joins the kanji for “sea/ocean” with “soar” or “fly.”
Ren vs Kaito
Which is more popular?
Ren is more popular than Kaito today: about 213 US babies were given the name Ren in 2025, compared with 71 named Kaito.
| Ren | Kaito | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lotus; love | Ocean; soar |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | REN | KY-toh |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1915 | 1994 |
| Peak year | 2025 (213) | 2022 (84) |
| In 2025 | 213 | 71 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Ren
Kaito
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Ren | Kaito |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,101 | 426 |
| 2010s | 759 | 463 |
| 2000s | 280 | 293 |
| 1990s | 192 | 53 |
| 1980s | 201 | 0 |
| 1970s | 33 | 0 |
| 1960s | 65 | 0 |
| 1950s | 70 | 0 |
| 1940s | 59 | 0 |
| 1930s | 19 | 0 |
| 1920s | 22 | 0 |
| 1910s | 17 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ren or Kaito more popular?
Ren is more popular than Kaito today: about 213 US babies were given the name Ren in 2025, compared with 71 named Kaito.
What is the difference between Ren and Kaito?
Ren means Lotus; love (Japanese origin), while Kaito means Ocean; soar (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Ren or Kaito?
In US records, Ren first appears in 1915 and Kaito in 1994, so Ren has the longer recorded history.