Kye

♀ Girl

Pronounced KY /ˈkaɪ/Medium

Meaning: A short name reading as a form of Kai (variously 'sea' in Hawaiian, or a Welsh/Frisian name) or a fresh coinage. Used here for a girl though it leans strongly to boys; routes uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: A one-beat name: Kye reads as a form of Kai (said 'KY'). More often a boy's name — we note the lean.

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningA short name reading as a form of Kai (variously 'sea' in Hawaiian, or a Welsh/Frisian name) or a fresh coinage. Used here for a girl though it leans strongly to boys; routes uncertain.

U.S. rank (2024)#16523 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 340

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kye reads as a short form of Kai ('sea' by one route), a modern one-syllable name. It leans strongly to boys, which we note, and its route is uncertain (said 'KY').

For girls it appears very rarely, against much heavier boys' use. Rare, short, and boy-leaning.

Did you know? Kye is a crisp single syllable, usually a form of Kai — and overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note; its route as a girl's name is uncertain (said 'KY').

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Kye — Kai form; cross-sex, boy-leaning; uncertain

Variations

KaiKyKaye

Nicknames

KyKiki

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kye…

Kai— the name it forms from

Sky— a like short airy pick

Rye— a like one-beat name

Cy— a like crisp short name

Explore names like Kye

By thememodern short cross-sex unisex-lean-boy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kye mean?

Kye reads as a form of Kai ('sea' by one route); it's also a fresh coinage. The routes are uncertain, which we note.

How do you pronounce Kye?

It's said KY /ˈkaɪ/ — one syllable.

Is Kye a boy or girl name?

Kye is used for both, but far more often for boys — we note the lean.

How popular is Kye?

Kye is rare for girls in the U.S. and more common for boys.