Given name & surname
Kaja
In Norwegian use, Kaja is a diminutive of Kai. A connection with the sea occurs in Hawaiian interpretations. Kai should not be applied automatically to the European name.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Norwegian use, Kaja is a diminutive of Kai. A connection with the sea occurs in Hawaiian interpretations. Kai should not be applied automatically to the European name.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Norwegian use, Kaja is a diminutive of Kai. The Scandinavian, North German, and Frisian name has an uncertain origin. Hawaiian use provides a separate naming context.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Norwegian usage, Kaja is a diminutive of Kai. In Norwegian usage, Kaja is a diminutive of Katarina. In Norwegian use, Kaja is a diminutive of Kai. The shared background comes through Kai: For the European form, proposed connections include an Old Norse word for a hen or chicken and the Roman name Gaius. Neither explanation is certain.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1957. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kaja through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 711
- 0 boys · 711 girls
- Most popular year
- 2009
- 25 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #6,973 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +7%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 6,973 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 6.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 730 as a first name in 2020; 474 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kaja’s family of names
In Norwegian usage, Kaja is a diminutive of Kai. In Polish usage, Kaja shares an earlier linguistic root with GAJA. In Estonian usage, Kaja has a related form in Kaia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Kaja has relatives in 5 languages.
6 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kaja
- Kaja KallasEstonian politician and former prime minister of Estonia (born 1977)
- Kaja JuvanSlovenian tennis playerborn 2000
- Kaija ParveEstonian biathlete (born 1964)
- Kaja GrobelnaBelgian volleyball playerborn 1995
- Andrea Bræin HovigNorwegian actress, singer, and children's writer (born 1973)
- Kaja Ziomek-NogalPolish speed skaterborn 1997
- Kaja SilvermanAmerican film theoristborn 1947
- Kaja KajzerSlovene judokaborn 2000
- Kaja ErženSlovene association football playerborn 1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kaja, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Carlie
“from the farmer's meadow” · “a free woman”
>99% girls
Marleah
“from the meadow near the lake”
>99% girls
Coral
Coral is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “resembling the semiprecious sea growth; from the reef.”
>99% girls
Lynnea
“a man of the lake”
>99% girls
Allona
“one who is as strong as an oak” · “of the oak tree”
>99% girls
Marlea
“from the meadow near the lake” · “of the marshy meadow”
>99% girls
Arly
“from the meadow of the hare” · “an oath; a pledge”
23% boys · 77% girls
Lupita
“from the valley of wolves” · “from the river of the wolf”
>99% girls