Charlie vs Kai
Charlie 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Kai #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Kai #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Kai #78 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Kai #282 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #747 and Kai #4867 among girls in England and Wales.
Charlie and Kai over time
Charlie and Kai appear together in 6 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Kai in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kai reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Charlie 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Charlie and Kai changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1990 and 2025, ending at #211 and #282.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Charlie and Kai averaged 31.7 places apart, ending at #12 and #23.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Norway · Boys, Charlie rose about as far as Kai fell — from #609 and #176 in 1990 to #211 and #282 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Kai were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Charlie #88 in 1999, Kai #1126 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Kai #78.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Kai #34.
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #88 in 1999, Kai #1126 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #747, Kai #4867.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Kai #69.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Kai in 12.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, Kai #176 in 1990.
The order changed in 2025: Charlie moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #216 and #211; by 2025 that had become #211 and #282.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, Kai #282.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Kai #20 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Kai #23.
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 | Charlie | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | 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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Charlie has a recorded origin (English, via Germanic Karl); Kai does not have one recorded yet.
- Charlie has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- A meaning is recorded for Charlie; Kai doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Charlie
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls