This is a list of names in which the number of syllables is 2.
Kalei m & f HawaiianMeans
"the flowers" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lei "flowers, lei, child".
Kali 1 f & m Hinduism, Bengali, TamilMeans
"the black one", derived from Sanskrit
काल (kāla) meaning "black". The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of
Shiva. According to stories in the Puranas, she springs from the forehead of
Durga in order to defeat various demons. She is typically depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.
Kálmán m HungarianProbably of Turkic origin, meaning
"remainder". This was the name of a 12th-century king of Hungary. It was also borne in the 13th-century by the first king of Galicia-Volhynia, who was also a member of the Hungarian Árpád royal family. This name has been frequently confused with
Koloman.
Kama m HinduismMeans
"love, desire" in Sanskrit. Kama is the Hindu god of love and pleasure, typically depicted as a young man armed with a bow and riding on the back of a giant parrot. His wife is
Rati.
Kanna f JapaneseFrom Japanese
栞 (kan) meaning "bookmark" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Kanon f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and
音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Kanye m African American (Modern)Meaning uncertain. It could be from the name of a town in Botswana (of Tswana origin). Yoruba, Igbo, Xhosa and Fula meanings have also been suggested. It is borne by the American rapper Kanye West (1977-), and the name briefly appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2004 when he released his debut album.
Karam m & f ArabicMeans
"nobility, generosity" in Arabic, derived from
كرم (karuma) meaning "to be generous".
Kareem m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
كريم (see
Karim). A famous bearer of this name is basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947-).
Karen 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Kari 2 m FinnishForm of
Macarius (see
Macario) used by the Finnish author Juhani Aho in his novel
Panu (1897).
Katherine f EnglishFrom the Greek name
Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name
Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from
ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning
"each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess
Hecate; it could be related to Greek
αἰκία (aikia) meaning
"torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning
"my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek
καθαρός (katharos) meaning
"pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from
Katerina to
Katharina to reflect this.
... [more] Katniss f LiteratureFrom the English word
katniss, the name of a variety of edible aquatic flowering plants (genus Sagittaria). Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of
The Hunger Games series of novels by Suzanne Collins, released 2008 to 2010, about a young woman forced to participate in a violent televised battle.
Katsu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory", as well as other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Kaveh m Persian, Persian MythologyMeaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.
Kawthar f ArabicMeans
"abundance" in Arabic. This is the name of the 108th chapter (surah al-Kawthar) of the Quran.
Kayce m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Casey or
Case (depending on the pronunciation). It was popularized by the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) from the television series
Yellowstone (2018-).
Kayla f EnglishCombination of the popular phonetic elements
kay and
la. Use of the name greatly increased after 1982 when the character Kayla Brady began appearing on the American soap opera
Days of Our Lives.
Kaylee f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
kay and
lee. This name, in various spellings, steadily rose in popularity starting in the 1980s. This particular spelling peaked in America in 2009, ranked 26th, and has since declined.
Kazim m ArabicMeans
"one who suppresses anger" in Arabic, derived from
كظم (kaẓama) meaning "to suppress anger".
Keegan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Mac Aodhagáin, which was derived from the given name
Aodhagán, a double diminutive of
Aodh.
Keely f EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Caolaidhe, itself derived from the given name
Caoladhe, from Irish
caol "slender".
Keiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
慶 (kei) meaning "celebration",
敬 (kei) meaning "respect",
啓 (kei) meaning "open, begin" or
恵 (kei) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Keita 1 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
慶 (kei) meaning "celebration" or
啓 (kei) meaning "open, begin" combined with
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kellan m English (Modern)Variant of
Kellen. This particular spelling jumped in popularity after actor Kellan Lutz (1985-) appeared in the
Twilight series of movies beginning 2008.
Kellen m English (Modern)Possibly from a German surname, itself derived from Middle Low German
kel "swampy area". This name began to be used in the United States in the early 1980s after the American football player Kellen Winslow (1957-) began his professional career.
Kelly m & f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish given name
Ceallach or the surname derived from it
Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
... [more] Kelsey f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name
Cenel "fierce" in combination with
eg "island".
Kelvin m EnglishFrom the name of a Scottish river, perhaps meaning
"narrow water". As a title it was borne by the Irish-Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), who acquired his title from the river.
Kemal m TurkishTurkish form of
Kamal 1. This was the second name, acquired in his youth, of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of modern Turkey.
Kenan 1 m BiblicalPossibly means
"possession" in Hebrew. He is a son of
Enosh and a great-grandson of
Adam in the Old Testament.
Kendall m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwestern England meaning
"valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera
All My Children.
Kende m HungarianFrom the Hungarian royal title
kende or
kündü, which referred to the ceremonial Magyar king (who ruled together with the military leader the
gyula in the period before the Magyars settled in Hungary).
Kendrick m EnglishFrom a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names
Cyneric "royal power" or
Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name
Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Eanraig meaning "son of
Henry".
... [more] Kenelm m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements
cene "bold, keen" and
helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.
Kenji m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or
研 (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" combined with
二 (ji) meaning "two". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kenneth m Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianAnglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Kenshin m JapaneseFrom Japanese
謙 (ken) meaning "humble, modest" and
信 (shin) meaning "trust, believe". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kenta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Kenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning either "town on the River Kenn" or "royal town" in Old English.
Kenya f English, African AmericanFrom the name of the African country. The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called
Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 1960s.
Kenzo m Japanese, French (Modern)Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
謙三 or
健三 or
賢三 (see
Kenzō). Use of the name in France can probably be attributed to the fashion brand Kenzo, founded in 1970 by the Japanese-French designer Kenzō Takada (1939-2020).
Kenzō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
謙 (ken) meaning "humble",
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or
賢 (ken) meaning "wise" combined with
三 (zō) meaning "three". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kermit m EnglishFrom a rare (Americanized) Manx surname, a variant of the Irish surname
Mac Diarmada, itself derived from the given name
Diarmaid. This was the name of a son of Theodore Roosevelt born in 1889. He was named after a relative of his mother, Robert Kermit. The name is now associated with Kermit the Frog, a Muppet created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955.
Kerry m & f EnglishFrom the name of the Irish county, called
Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "
Ciar's people".
Kestrel f English (Rare)From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French
crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.
Ketut m & f BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"small banana". This name is traditionally given to the fourth child.
Khaliq m ArabicMeans
"creator" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الخليق (al-Khalīq) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Khamphet m & f LaoFrom Lao
ຄຳ (kham) meaning "gold" and
ເພັດ (phet) meaning "diamond, gem".
Khayra f ArabicMeans
"good deed" in Arabic, a derivative of
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Khayri m ArabicMeans
"charitable, benificent" in Arabic, a derivative of
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Khayyam m ArabicMeans
"tent maker" in Arabic. This was the surname of the 12th-century Persian poet Umar Khayyam.
Khloe f English (Modern)Variant of
Chloe. This particular variant was popularized by the television personality Khloé Kardashian (1984-) after she began appearing with her family on the reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2007.
Khordad f & m Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Haurvatat. From the Middle Persian era, this deity was often considered masculine. The third month of the Iranian calendar is named for her.
Kielo f FinnishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).
Kiku f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菊 (kiku) meaning "chrysanthemum", as well as other kanji characters that are pronounced the same way.
Kincső f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
kincs meaning
"treasure". This name was created by Hungarian author Mór Jókai in
The Novel of the Next Century (1872).
Kingsley m & f English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a minor boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kingston m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"king's town" in Old English. This name rose significantly on the popularity charts after musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale used it for their son born 2006.
Kinsey f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Cynesige. This name is borne by Kinsey Millhone, the heroine in a series of mystery novels by author Sue Grafton, beginning in 1982.
Kinsley f English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from an English place name, itself meaning
"clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name
Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with
cyne meaning "royal".
... [more] Kipling m English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"Cyppel's people". The surname was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), a British novelist born in India who wrote
The Jungle Book and other works.
Kirby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"church settlement" in Old Norse. This name briefly spiked in popularity for American girls in 1982 after the character Kirby Anders Colby was introduced to the soap opera
Dynasty.
Kiyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or other homophonic words. This was a popular name in the Edo period and remained common until the early 20th century, at which time it was usually spelled using katakana.
Kizzy f EnglishDiminutive of
Keziah. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries
Roots (1977).
Kjellfrid f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketilríðr, derived from the elements
ketill meaning "kettle" and
fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".