Given name & surname
Kalai
Kalai is a feminine given name from Bible. It is used in Hawaiian.
Meaning & origin
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1991. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kalai through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 318
- 246 boys · 72 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 24 babies
- 2025
- 24
- #5,118 for boys · #16,040 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 19 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,118 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 450 as a first name in 2020; 196 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.
Kalai’s family of names
In Hawaiian usage, Kalai has a conventional equivalent in the English form Sarai. In Greek usage, Kalai as a surname is a transliteration of Καλάη. In Greek usage, Kalai as a surname is a transliteration of Καλάι.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: across languages.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Kalai, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Covey
“a brood of birds”
64% boys · 36% girls
Kamari
Kamari is a masculine given name.
72% boys · 28% girls
Akari
61% boys · 39% girls
Yuriah
49% boys · 51% girls
Kamaree
66% boys · 34% girls
Ari
“resembling a lion or an eagle”
62% boys · 38% girls
Bellamy
“a handsome friend”
49% boys · 51% girls
Amari
“having great strength; a builder”
66% boys · 34% girls