Kaiah
Kaiah was the 3119th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 2573rd with 68 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 831 places. More babies were named Kaiah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kaia) Origin uncertain · Estonian, Norwegian, Hawaiian
- Rank in 2025
- #3,119 girls, up 454 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 52girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202168 babies
- Total since 1880
- 991babies recorded
What does the name Kaiah mean?
Kaiah is a spelling of Kaia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kaia's meaning and origin.
Kaia has more than one source. Wiktionary records it as an Estonian girl's name, a variant of Katariina (Katherine), and Wikipedia describes it as Estonian and Norwegian. Wikipedia also notes its use as a feminine of Kai, which in Hawaiian means 'sea'. In the US both associations are common, and parents may also see it as a form of Kaya or Kaja.
Katariina (Estonian, “Katherine”)kai (Hawaiian, “sea”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Scandinavian/Estonian pet form of Katherine, or a feminine of Kai; both are documented.
Related names: Kaja, Kai, Kaya, Katherine.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kaia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Kaia (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'kai', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Kaiah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,119 | 52 |
| 2020 | #3,573 | 42 |
| 2010 | #4,536 | 32 |
| 2000 | #8,267 | 12 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kaiah, counting every spelling?
Kaiah is a spelling of Kaia, a name family that ranked #178 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,119 for Kaiah on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,962 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaia | 1,618 | #193 | 7,550 |
| Kaya | 206 | #1,133 | 1,230 |
| Caia | 64 | #2,696 | 388 |
| Kaiah | 52 | #3,119 | 299 |
| Kayah | 22 | #5,639 | 77 |
| Caya | — | — | 29 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kaiah?
52 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kaiah (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kaiah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 161 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kaiah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kaiah?
About 1,000 people born in the US named Kaiah are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 16. That makes Kaiah a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kaiah by state
How common Kaiah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 46 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kaiah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kaiah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kaiah
What does Kaiah mean?
The origin of Kaia is uncertain: Scandinavian/Estonian pet form of Katherine, or a feminine of Kai; both are documented.
How popular is the name Kaiah?
Kaiah was the 3119th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 2573rd with 68 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 831 places. More babies were named Kaiah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Kaiah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kaiah in the US.
Where is Kaiah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kaiah was most common in California (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Arizona.