Kai vs Paul
Kai and Paulcompared 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, Kai was ranked #34 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #56 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #69 and Paul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #72 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #211 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
Kai and Paul over time
Kai and Paul appear together in 4 published lists, across 164 years of shared records. Kai held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Paul 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.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Kai 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 1999, Kai moved ahead of Paul in England and Wales · Boys — #100 and #78 the year before became #89 and #93.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kai and Paul changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2024, ending at #211 and #370.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 80 shared years in Norway · Boys, Kai and Paul averaged 47.3 places apart, ending at #211 and #370.
- Longest-running competitions
Kai and Paul were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 80 years, from 1945 to 2024, ending at #211 and #370.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2024
Kai held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Paul in 34.
Highest recorded here: Kai #57 in 1976, Paul #67 in 1946.
The order changed in 2021: Kai moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #369 and #351; by 2021 that had become #238 and #262.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kai #211, Paul #370.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kai held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Paul in 3.
Highest recorded here: Kai #56 in 2003, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order changed in 1999: Kai moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #100 and #78; by 1999 that had become #89 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kai #72, Paul #586.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Kai held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Paul in 15.
Highest recorded here: Kai #30 in 2024, Paul #26 in 1997.
The order changed in 2013: Kai moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #109 and #103; by 2013 that had become #85 and #124.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kai #34, Paul #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Kai held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Paul in 12.
Highest recorded here: Kai #52 in 2021, Paul #32 in 1999.
The order changed in 2010: Kai moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #133 and #102; by 2010 that had become #80 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kai #69, Paul #278.
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 | Kai | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Kai does not have one recorded yet.
- Kai and Paul both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; 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
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
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys