K: a crisp consonant with a worldwide following
K started as the Phoenician kaph, a word for the palm of the hand. Latin used C for most of the same sounds, so K stayed rare in the old Roman world. That is one reason K names today often come from outside Latin and Romance traditions: Japan, India, West Africa, Hawaii and Ireland all contribute them.
Names written on the calendar
In the Akan culture of Ghana, many children are given a "day name" for the day of the week they were born. Kofi is for a boy born on a Friday, Kwame for a Saturday and Kwesi for a Sunday. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, carried the Friday name. Girls have equivalent names, such as Ama (Saturday) and Afia (Friday).
It is a nice example of a naming tradition that records a fact about the child. If you are expecting, you may already know the day of the week you will meet your baby.
K sounds from sea to sea
Several K names are about the ocean and sky. Kai means sea in Hawaiian and ocean in Japanese, Kailani is a Hawaiian name meaning "sea and sky", and Kaito (Japanese) means "ocean soaring". Japanese names in this list also include Kenji, Kenta, Kiyoko and Kaori, while Indian names add Kamala (lotus), Kabir (great) and Kiran (ray of light). Irish contributions include Keegan, Kieran and Kevin.
K names worth a closer look
- Kwame
A day name from Ghana that records the day of the week a child was born.
- Kailani
A Hawaiian name that is musical, with an ocean-and-sky meaning.
- Kenji
A Japanese boy name with a thoughtful meaning and a simple sound.
- Keegan
An Irish surname-turned-first-name with a lively meaning.
- Kamala
A name that means lotus in Sanskrit and has an elegant, easy sound.
Famous people whose first names start with K
- Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner
- Kamala Harris, the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States
- Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose calculations helped astronauts reach orbit
- Kobe Bryant, the basketball star
- Kwame Nkrumah, the first leader of independent Ghana
- Kahlil Gibran, the poet and author of The Prophet
- Keanu Reeves, the Canadian actor
Questions about K names
What are Akan day names?
In Akan culture in Ghana, children are often given a name that reflects the day they were born, such as Kofi for a boy born on Friday and Kwame for Saturday.
Is Kai a boy's name or a girl's name?
Kai is used for both. It appears in Hawaiian and Japanese as a word for the sea, and it works for any child.