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ArchivesKai & Kaia ...
I've been doing a bit of research on the name Kai and have found several different meanings for it. However, I could use some help verifying the accuracy of these meanings. Also, would all of the sources be pronounced as KIE or would some of them be pronounced as KAY.
(Chinese) “Victorious, Open, Start, Ideal”
(Finnish) “Maybe, Perhaps, Probably”
(German) “Quay” from Kaai (Dutch)
(Greek) "And"
(Hawaiian) “Sea”, “The Sea”, “Sea Water”, “Ocean”, “Great Water”
(Hong Kong) “Stupid, Silly”
(Japanese) “Beautiful Shell”
(Japanese) “Cut”
(Japanese) “Meeting, Join, Association”
(Maori) “Food”
(Native-American-Navajo) “Willow Tree”
(Norwegian) “Quay”
(Old Norse) “Hen” from kaða
(Papago) “Seed”
(Papiamen) “Drop, Fall”
(Persian epithet) “King, Ruler”
(Scandinavian) form of Gaius, of unknown meaning
(Scandinavian/Greek) “Earth”
(Scottish) “Fire”
(Scottish/Welsh) “Keeper of the Keys”
(South African) “Beautiful”
(Thai) “Fever, Egg”
On the same note, I've been trying to determine the meaning of Kaia and have come up with:
KAIA
(Old Norse) “Hen” from Kaða (KIE-a or KAY-a?)
(Hawaiian) “The Sea” from Kai (KIE-a)
(Greek) “Earth” from Gaia (KIE-a or KAY-a?)
I would assume that the many sites referring to Kaia as meaning Earth would come from the Hawaiian form of Gaia. It seems that G's tend to be translated as K's in Hawaiian.
Any help is appreciated, Thanks!
CIARDA
"Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh
name Bzjxxllwcp is pronounced Jackson." - Mark Twain
Liking the names: Mira Ruth, Lilia Belle, Dominic Coleman, Asher Vincent
(Chinese) “Victorious, Open, Start, Ideal”
(Finnish) “Maybe, Perhaps, Probably”
(German) “Quay” from Kaai (Dutch)
(Greek) "And"
(Hawaiian) “Sea”, “The Sea”, “Sea Water”, “Ocean”, “Great Water”
(Hong Kong) “Stupid, Silly”
(Japanese) “Beautiful Shell”
(Japanese) “Cut”
(Japanese) “Meeting, Join, Association”
(Maori) “Food”
(Native-American-Navajo) “Willow Tree”
(Norwegian) “Quay”
(Old Norse) “Hen” from kaða
(Papago) “Seed”
(Papiamen) “Drop, Fall”
(Persian epithet) “King, Ruler”
(Scandinavian) form of Gaius, of unknown meaning
(Scandinavian/Greek) “Earth”
(Scottish) “Fire”
(Scottish/Welsh) “Keeper of the Keys”
(South African) “Beautiful”
(Thai) “Fever, Egg”
On the same note, I've been trying to determine the meaning of Kaia and have come up with:
KAIA
(Old Norse) “Hen” from Kaða (KIE-a or KAY-a?)
(Hawaiian) “The Sea” from Kai (KIE-a)
(Greek) “Earth” from Gaia (KIE-a or KAY-a?)
I would assume that the many sites referring to Kaia as meaning Earth would come from the Hawaiian form of Gaia. It seems that G's tend to be translated as K's in Hawaiian.
Any help is appreciated, Thanks!
"Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh
name Bzjxxllwcp is pronounced Jackson." - Mark Twain
Liking the names: Mira Ruth, Lilia Belle, Dominic Coleman, Asher Vincent
This message was edited 11/18/2005, 3:25 PM
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Replies
Well, Kai = Beautiful is a new one to this South African ... but we've got eleven official languages plus a few minor ones that didn't make the list, so I'll never say it's impossible.
However, Kaia means a house in several of those languages; this sounds pleasant and harmless, but it is mostly used for either a really oldfashioned mud shack or a toilet; reason being that before sanitation really took off, people would have a separate little building for the toilet, away from the house, to keep the smell and the flies away.
The only South Africans called Kai that I've ever known have been men of German descent.
However, Kaia means a house in several of those languages; this sounds pleasant and harmless, but it is mostly used for either a really oldfashioned mud shack or a toilet; reason being that before sanitation really took off, people would have a separate little building for the toilet, away from the house, to keep the smell and the flies away.
The only South Africans called Kai that I've ever known have been men of German descent.
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according to my name book its Hawaiin and means attractive. It's an awesome name though.
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I'm from O'ahu, Hawai`i and I'm also of part native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) blood/ancestry. Kai means "sea" in Hawaiian. NOT "attractive" nor does it mean "ocean." In Hawaiian "ocean" is Moana (Mo-ah-na). Also Kai is a more male name though some places online like to say it's unisex. In Hawaiian culture giving the child a Hawaiian name is a very thought out and serious thing. You don't name the child until post birth and it has to have great significance in the meaning. Usually the Hawaiian grandparent(s) will help out with the name as well.
Most of these baby name sites have Hawaiian names translated completely wrong and I find it sort of sad that they go through the effort to make a "Hawaiian name" section and butcher the meaning. Naming is a very spiritual thing in my culture.
Most of these baby name sites have Hawaiian names translated completely wrong and I find it sort of sad that they go through the effort to make a "Hawaiian name" section and butcher the meaning. Naming is a very spiritual thing in my culture.
This message was edited 11/26/2005, 2:54 PM
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Adding a few more questions, not answers
As Kaleko says, the German word is "Kai". This is from Dutch "kaai", but it is said to go back to a Gaulish word "caio" meaning "enclosure, hedge". Some say, the name Kai (or Kay, Cai, Cei) in the story of King Arthur may be derived from this word.
KAI has also been explained as a Frisian variant of KLAUS (Kaei > Klaei > Klais > Klaes).
Others say, it's a Frisian short form of Gerhard.
CAIUS seems indeed to be of obscure origin. Some tries:
- "Man from Caieta" (a city now called Gaete, nw of Naples)
- from Greek "gaios" (rural)
- from Greek "gaio" (I am happy)
This is not neccessarily from reliable sources. Obscure indeed.
This leaves Sky Dumont, the actor. The story has it, that his elder brother misunderstood the name, when his mother returned from hospital with the new born baby. Sky's name was Cayetano and his mother said to his brother: "This is Cay." But he heard "This is Sky."
As Kaleko says, the German word is "Kai". This is from Dutch "kaai", but it is said to go back to a Gaulish word "caio" meaning "enclosure, hedge". Some say, the name Kai (or Kay, Cai, Cei) in the story of King Arthur may be derived from this word.
KAI has also been explained as a Frisian variant of KLAUS (Kaei > Klaei > Klais > Klaes).
Others say, it's a Frisian short form of Gerhard.
CAIUS seems indeed to be of obscure origin. Some tries:
- "Man from Caieta" (a city now called Gaete, nw of Naples)
- from Greek "gaios" (rural)
- from Greek "gaio" (I am happy)
This is not neccessarily from reliable sources. Obscure indeed.
This leaves Sky Dumont, the actor. The story has it, that his elder brother misunderstood the name, when his mother returned from hospital with the new born baby. Sky's name was Cayetano and his mother said to his brother: "This is Cay." But he heard "This is Sky."
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As far as I know the Hawaiian and Scandinavian derivations given on this site are the only correct ones for Kai as a name. Many of the other "meanings" may well be correct for the word "kai" in various languages. It is always good to know what meanings names have as words in other languages, but that doesn't mean they have been used as names in those languages or that those meanings have any relevance for the historical use of the name.
The Swedish name dictionary I own (Svenska förnamn by Roland Otterbjörk) says that Kaja is a pet form of Karin and does not list the spelling Kaia, and the Norwegian name dictionary Norsk Personnamnleksikon basically gives the same derivation, deriving Kaia from Katrine. I've often wondered why Scandinavian experts don't also see Kaia as possibly being a feminine form of Kai, but all the ones I've seen think of Kaia as a pet form of Katherine and don't relate it to Kai.
The Swedish name dictionary I own (Svenska förnamn by Roland Otterbjörk) says that Kaja is a pet form of Karin and does not list the spelling Kaia, and the Norwegian name dictionary Norsk Personnamnleksikon basically gives the same derivation, deriving Kaia from Katrine. I've often wondered why Scandinavian experts don't also see Kaia as possibly being a feminine form of Kai, but all the ones I've seen think of Kaia as a pet form of Katherine and don't relate it to Kai.
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I've only seen these names spelt as Kaj and Kaja in Sweden.
Kaj is a unisex name in Sweden. I think the female Kaj is a short form of Kaja or a nn for Karin. Another nn for Karin is Kajsa, which is also used as formal name.
The Finnish form is Kaija (short for Katariina). There is also a Swedish word "kaja", which means the bird jackdaw. But this has nothing to do with the name Kaja.
"You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
Kaj is a unisex name in Sweden. I think the female Kaj is a short form of Kaja or a nn for Karin. Another nn for Karin is Kajsa, which is also used as formal name.
The Finnish form is Kaija (short for Katariina). There is also a Swedish word "kaja", which means the bird jackdaw. But this has nothing to do with the name Kaja.
"You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
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