Hugo vs Kai
Hugo 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Hugo was ranked #18 and Kai #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hugo was ranked #42 and Kai #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hugo was ranked #46 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hugo was ranked #135 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Hugo was ranked #81 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Hugo was ranked #101 and Kai #282 among boys in Norway.
Hugo and Kai over time
Hugo and Kai appear together in 5 published lists, across 174 years of shared records. Kai held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hugo 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.
Kai reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Hugo 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 2014, Hugo moved ahead of Kai in England and Wales · Boys — #74 and #64 the year before became #70 and #77.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hugo and Kai changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2009 and 2025, ending at #18 and #23.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Hugo and Kai averaged 29.0 places apart, ending at #42 and #34.
- Longest-running competitions
Hugo and Kai were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 79 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #101 and #282.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Hugo #18 in 2025, Kai #20 in 2023.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2025
Hugo held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Kai in 60.
Highest recorded here: Hugo #101 in 2025, Kai #57 in 1976.
The order changed in 2011: Hugo moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #282 and #243; by 2011 that had become #254 and #279.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hugo #101, Kai #282.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hugo held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Kai in 18.
Highest recorded here: Hugo #45 in 2021, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order changed in 2014: Hugo moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #74 and #64; by 2014 that had become #70 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hugo #46, Kai #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Hugo held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Kai in 15.
Highest recorded here: Hugo #42 in 2025, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order changed in 2017: Kai moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #89 and #92; by 2017 that had become #92 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hugo #42, Kai #34.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2000–2024
Hugo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 21.
Highest recorded here: Hugo #67 in 2023, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hugo #81, Kai #69.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Hugo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Kai in 7.
Highest recorded here: Hugo #18 in 2025, Kai #20 in 2023.
The order changed in 2025: Hugo moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #28 and #20; by 2025 that had become #18 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hugo #18, 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 | Hugo | 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 | |
| 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 #18 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hugo has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Hugo
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #186 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 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