Bailey vs Kai
Bailey and Kaicompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Bailey was ranked #516 and Kai #37 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #268 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2014, Bailey was ranked #85 and Kai #59 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #256 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #249 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #795 and Kai #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Bailey and Kai over time
Bailey and Kai appear together in 5 published lists, across 115 years of shared records. Kai held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Bailey in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Bailey reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Kai in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Kai moved ahead of Bailey in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #63 and #80 the year before became #84 and #59.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Bailey and Kai averaged 54.7 places apart, ending at #249 and #72.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Kai rose about as far as Bailey fell — from #150 and #272 in 1998 to #256 and #69 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Bailey #62 in 2005, Kai #56 in 2003.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bailey held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kai in 28.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #62 in 2005, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bailey #249, Kai #72.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Bailey held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #337 in 2003, Kai #1126 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bailey #795, Kai #4843.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Bailey held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Kai in 14.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #83 in 2002, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order changed in 2010: Kai moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #117 and #133; by 2010 that had become #158 and #80.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bailey #256, Kai #69.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1999–2023
Bailey held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kai in 21.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #232 in 2006, Kai #33 in 2022.
The order changed in 2000: Kai moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #266 and #290; by 2000 that had become #347 and #312.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bailey #516, Kai #37.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys12 shared years, 2002–2014
Bailey held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kai in 3.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #27 in 2005, Kai #57 in 2009.
The order changed in 2012: Kai moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #63 and #80; by 2012 that had become #84 and #59.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Bailey #85, Kai #59.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Bailey | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bailey has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Bailey
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #848 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2014
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2004 (recorded 1996–2014).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Kai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #76 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2002–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys