Kanai
Boy name · #3223 in 2025 · Uniqueness 47/100
Kanai is currently the #3223 boy name in the United States — 37 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #5058, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 boys born in 2025 was named Kanai.
Babies named Kanai per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 26-year story
Kanai first appears in the Social Security records in 1999, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 37 babies and a rank of #3181. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kanai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kanai in class?
Kanai scores 47 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Kanai is most common
State-level data for Kanai is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Kanai
Statistically, parents drawn to Kanai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Adonai, Lakai, Takai, Dakai, and Yishai.
AdonaiLakaiTakaiDakaiYishaiKairiMahkaiKazi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kanai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3181 |
| 2024 | 26 | #4072 |
| 2023 | 30 | #3712 |
| 2022 | 29 | #3774 |
| 2021 | 24 | #4247 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5699 |
| 2019 | 20 | #4806 |
| 2018 | 17 | #5320 |
| 2017 | 15 | #5788 |
| 2016 | 13 | #6349 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5058 |
| 2014 | 18 | #5066 |
| 2013 | 14 | #5923 |
| 2012 | 23 | #4251 |
| 2011 | 13 | #6256 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10766 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6436 |
| 2008 | 14 | #6070 |
| 2007 | 10 | #7590 |
| 2006 | 12 | #6460 |
| 2005 | 11 | #6634 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7536 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6935 |
| 2000 | 5 | #10349 |
| 1999 | 5 | #9912 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanai a popular boy name?
Kanai ranked #3223 among boys in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5058.
When was the name Kanai most popular?
Kanai peaked in 2025, when 37 American boys received the name (ranked #3181 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Kanai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American boys was named Kanai. It scores 47/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.