David vs Kai
David 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 2025, David was ranked #45 and Kai #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Kai #48 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Kai #282 among boys in Norway.
David and Kai over time
David and Kai appear together in 5 published lists, across 179 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kai in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Kai in 1. 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 David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #76 and #80 the year before became #98 and #59.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
David and Kai changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #64 and #72.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Kai averaged 27.6 places apart, ending at #64 and #72.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Kai were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #88 and #282.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
David held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Kai in 33.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Kai #57 in 1976.
The order changed in 1980: David moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #81 and #78; by 1980 that had become #66 and #102.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Kai #282.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Kai in 4.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Kai #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
David held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Kai in 4.
Highest recorded here: David #7 in 1997, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Kai moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #47 and #51; by 2022 that had become #43 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Kai #34.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
David held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Kai in 5.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1998, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order changed in 2020: Kai moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #76 and #107; by 2020 that had become #89 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Kai #69.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys14 shared years, 2002–2018
David held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Kai in 10.
Highest recorded here: David #52 in 2002, Kai #48 in 2018.
The order changed in 2012: Kai moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #76 and #80; by 2012 that had become #98 and #59.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Kai #48.
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 | David | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Kai does not have one recorded yet.
- David has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- A meaning is recorded for David; 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
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
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