The story behind Kay
A female given name, a short form of Katherine and other female names beginning with a "K"; popular as a middle name.
Pronunciation
English; dialect unspecified: /ˈkeɪ/
Popularity
Kay ranked #3946 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Kay
Kỳ
Sino-Vietnamese word from 旗 (“fragrance”), 奇 (“strange”) etc.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Ỳ
- same syllable count
- similar length
Guy
From Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Y
- same syllable count
- similar length
Jay
Borrowed from Hindi जय (jay, literally “victory”). Borrowed from Sanskrit जय (jaya, “victory”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Y
- same syllable count
- similar length
Joy
From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century. Borrowed from English Joy.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Y
- same syllable count
- similar length
Roy
From various sources: * Anglo-Norman roy (“king”) a variant of Old French roi, from Latin rēx, rēgem from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”). Doublet of Rey. *…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Y
- same syllable count
- similar length
Sky
From sky. As a surname, a translation of German Himmel and an anglicization of Ashkenazic surnames ending in -sky.
- Gender
- neutral
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Y
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Kay
Enid
From Middle Welsh eneit (“spirit, life; purity”), from Proto-Celtic *anatyom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe, blow”). Cognate with Gaulish anatia (“souls (?)”)…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends D
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Evan
Anglicization of Welsh Ifan, ultimately from Latin Jōhannēs, variant of Iōannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (yōḥānān, yokhanán, literally “God is…
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Iago
From Welsh, Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician Iago, from Latin Iācōbus (“James”), from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (ya‘ăqṓḇ, “Jacob”, literally “he…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Kay
Bryn
From Welsh bryn (“hill, mound”), or Cumbric *brınn (“hill”) in the Greater Manchester place-name.
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends N
- compatible short style
- shared origin connection
Enid
From Middle Welsh eneit (“spirit, life; purity”), from Proto-Celtic *anatyom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe, blow”). Cognate with Gaulish anatia (“souls (?)”)…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends D
- compatible short style
- shared origin connection
Evan
Anglicization of Welsh Ifan, ultimately from Latin Jōhannēs, variant of Iōannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (yōḥānān, yokhanán, literally “God is…
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- compatible short style
- shared origin connection