Kyi

♂ Boy

Pronounced KYE /ˈkaɪ/Low

Meaning: Kyi is a very short one-beat name. In Burmese it is a real name element, known worldwide from Aung San Suu Kyi, where it can carry a sense of 'clear' or 'bright'; in American use it also appears as a modern minimalist spelling akin to Kai. The route here is uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Kyi is a one-syllable name, a Burmese element also read as a modern spelling like Kai. Its route is uncertain; it stayed rare (said KYE).

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Origin LowBurmese, American

MeaningKyi is a very short one-beat name. In Burmese it is a real name element, known worldwide from Aung San Suu Kyi, where it can carry a sense of 'clear' or 'bright'; in American use it also appears as a modern minimalist spelling akin to Kai. The route here is uncertain.

U.S. rank (2023)#10318 ↘ Falling

2023 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 135

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

Kyi is a single-syllable name with two possible backgrounds. In Burmese it is a genuine name element, known globally through Aung San Suu Kyi. In recent American use it also appears as a pared-down, modern spelling close to Kai. Which route a family intends is uncertain, and the name has always been rare here.

It has always been rare in American records, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak around 2017. A boy named Kyi then is still a young child today.

Did you know? The spelling is familiar worldwide from the Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, though in American records Kyi more often reads as a brief, modern name in the Kai family.

Overall data confidence 28%

References - Kyi — Short name: Burmese element (cf. Aung San Suu Kyi) or modern Kai-like spelling; route uncertain

Variations

KaiKyKye

Nicknames

Famous Bearers

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If you like Kyi…

Kai— a like short modern boy's name

Kye— a near-homophone spelling

Cai— shares the brief one-beat sound

Rai— another minimalist modern name

Explore names like Kyi

By thememodern rare short burmese

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kyi mean?

It is a short name: a Burmese element and, in American use, a modern spelling like Kai; the route is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Kyi?

It is said KYE /ˈkaɪ/, one syllable.

Is Kyi a boy or girl name?

Kyi is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Kyi?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the late twenty-tens.