Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Jessica writes:
My husband and I are due with our son in January. We both agree on the name Kai. The only problem in our last name. It’s one-syllable, starts with an R and rhymes with need.
Can we have a one-syllable first name with a one-syllable last name?
What are some of the longer names? Makai (is this even a name), Malakai (looks wrong), Malachi (doesn’t seem like it would shorten to Kai), Kaiden (isn’t this Aiden with a K?), Zakai?
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your son!
This question always gives me pause. We want there to be a correct answer, but … this one really comes down to personal preference.
Two one-syllable names together can be absolutely fine.
Proof?
Brad Pitt.
Jude Law.
Jon Hamm.
Chris Pratt.
Or Mae West, Joan Jett, Frank Lloyd Wright. The list goes on.
Suffice to say that, yes, you can name your son Kai Last.
Let’s look at the longer name possibilities, though, because it’s worth considering.
FORMAL NAMES FOR KAI
KAIDEN
I agree with you; Kaiden rhymes with Aiden and Jayden. It’s not a good path to Kai-rhymes-with-Sky.
MAKAI
Makai might be a possibility, though. In Hawaiian it means “towards the ocean.” (Since Kai is the Hawaiian word for ocean.) For what it’s worth, Matthew is often Makaio in Hawaiian. Still, Makai feels a little bit invented, I think … maybe not quite your style?
MALACHI
An Old Testament name that easily shortens to Kai … at least on sound. The only issue, of course, is that the letters “Kai” aren’t present, and spelling your son’s nickname “Chi” seems problematic.
MALAKAI
A phonetic spelling of Malachi that simples up the Malakai-Kai connection.
ZAKAI
Another Old Testament name, Zakai means pure. It’s often spelled Zaccai or Zakkai, but this spelling is the most popular right now. It looks a little like a Zack + Kai mash-up, but it feels established.
MORE FORMAL NAMES FOR KAI
CAIRO
Egyptian place name with history to spare. Cairo has been used as a boy’s name – and sometimes for girls, too – since the 1970s. Spellings Kairo and Kyro are seen, too, possibly to connect more obviously to Kai.
CAIUS
The Roman given name Gaius – meaning “rejoice” – became Caius over time. It can be spelled Kaius, of course. While neither are common, they fit with so many ancient boys’ names in use now.
KYLE, KYLER, KYLEN, KYSON
Additional spellings apply for nearly all of these names – Kylan and Kaison, for starters. With the exception of Scottish surname Kyle, they’re all recent inventions based on stylish sounds from the last few decades.
SO … KAI OR SOMETHING LONGER?
First: If you’re after someone to confirm that Kai works beautifully with a short surname? I’m here to give you that affirmation. My instinct is that you want to name your son Kai and that an unwritten rule is holding you back.
I say go for it! Kai is a great name, and it will serve your son well.
But if I’m misreading your hesitation and you really do want to give your son a formal name as well?
I’m most drawn to Malachi or Caius, with the awareness that spelling is an issue with both. But Malakai and Kaius don’t feel like quite your style, so …
That brings me back to this: use Kai.
And choose a longer, many-syllabled middle to balance out your short first/last combination: Kai Alexander is an obvious choice but there’s also Kai Anthony, Kai Dominic, Kai Harrison, Kai Gregory, Kai Nicholas, Kai Theodore, Kai Tennyson, Kai Christopher … and on and on.
If you can’t warm to the way something like Kai Tennyson Last sounds? Then I suspect you’re better off to find a different first name. But my guess is that Kai is exactly right, just as it is.
We went the Malachi called Kai route for our son. (Except we’ve ended up spelling it Ky…long story.) spelling has really been a non-issue as most people just say, don’t spell, Ky, and it’s a very intuitive nickname when you just hear it! And since the nickname isn’t a legal name, he can change the spelling easily if he ever wants to! He prefers Ky as the simplest spelling, since it’s not visually related to Malachi anyway (and “chi” is definitely weird on its own).
I agree with all those that say Kai R..d sounds fine. I personally like the combination. I also love the idea of using a longer middle name, possibly a family name or your maiden name as the middle name.
Using Kai on its own will be fine. The combination does sort of remind me of the word Kyrie. But this meaning from Google Translate isn’t at all bad:
“a short repeated invocation (in Greek or in translation) used in many Christian liturgies, especially at the beginning of the Eucharist or as a response in a litany”
Alternatively,
Calloway called Kai
CAllowaY -> Cay -> Kai
“Kyle” was my first thought as a formal name that still has a boy-next-door feel. On the other hand, I see “Chyler/Kyler” as a nice two-syllable alternative with “Kai” as a nickname. “Malachi” is an established name, but so is “Malakai” – so either would work for me! I think it’s a solid choice as a three-syllable name.
I would go with “Kai” if I loved it more than any formal first name. Why fight it? My future children will inherit a one syllable last name, so I can relate.
Kai “Read” sounds great to me!
And I agree with Abby’s suggestion to use a polysyllabic middle name. Perhaps a surname from your family tree? I love the sound of combinations like Kai Sullivan “Read”, Kai Wilson “Read”, or Kai McCarthy “Read”.
I also think Makai “Read” is beautiful, and I like the meaning behind the name.
Just for the fun of brainstorming alternatives…
Kainite (for geologist parents)
Kaiser (it’s actually in the top 1000)
Kenai
Kian, Kyan, or Cian
Kuiper (for an astronomy-loving family)
Kyrie
Schuyler or Skyler
Zekiah
Okay, maybe a stretch, but Nikolai could work for a long form. The letters and dominant sounds are all there!