Elias vs Kai
Elias 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #4 and Kai #282 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #35 and Kai #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #185 and Kai #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Elias was ranked #199 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Elias was ranked #187 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Elias was ranked #79 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
Elias and Kai over time
Elias and Kai appear together in 4 published lists, across 129 years of shared records. Kai held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Elias in 1.
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, and Elias in none. 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 1992, Elias moved ahead of Kai in Norway · Boys — #244 and #177 the year before became #158 and #232.
- Longest-running competitions
Elias and Kai were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 66 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #4 and #282.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Elias #185 in 2025, Kai #30 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1945–2025
Elias held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Kai in 32.
Highest recorded here: Elias #3 in 2006, Kai #57 in 1976.
The order changed in 1992: Elias moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #244 and #177; by 1992 that had become #158 and #232.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #4, Kai #282.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elias #79 in 2024, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elias #79, Kai #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2025
Elias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 21.
Highest recorded here: Elias #185 in 2025, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #185, Kai #34.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2008–2024
Elias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 13.
Highest recorded here: Elias #187 in 2024, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elias #187, Kai #69.
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 | Elias | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of Elijah, commonly interpreted as 'my God is Yahweh'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪəs/ | 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 | Norway · Boys #4 (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
- Elias has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek); Kai does not have one recorded yet.
- Elias has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- A meaning is recorded for Elias; 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
Elias
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #328 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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