Kailei
Feminine
Kailei is a twenty-first-century spelling in the Kaylee family, and it looks Hawaiian, with kai and lei inside it. Its sound belongs to one of the most loved characters in television science fiction, the cheerful engineer of Firefly.
How old is the name Kailei?
Kailei first appears in US birth records in 1988 — 37 years ago. The typical Kailei alive today was born around 2007, making them about 18 years old. About 600 people named Kailei are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Kailei most popular?
Kailei peaked in 2004, reaching #4093 nationally. See the whole 2004 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Kailei
In Joss Whedon's 2002 series Firefly, the ship Serenity is kept flying by Kaylee Frye — Kaywinnet Lee in full — a mechanic who loves engines, strawberries and pretty dresses in equal measure. Kailei writes that bright sound with letters that look Hawaiian, kai for the sea and lei for a garland, though no Hawaiian naming tradition stands behind it. It is a cheerful name that sounds like a greeting.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Kailei is most likely a spelling of Kaylee. It contains two Hawaiian words, kai, 'sea', and lei, 'garland', but is not documented as a Hawaiian name.
Pronouncing Kailei
KAY-lee
Two syllables with the stress on the first; some families say KY-lay.
Nicknames for Kailei
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1988
- Most girls named
- 200434 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #4093reached in 2004
- Change vs 2023
- −46.2%7 in 2024, from 13
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Kailei in other languages
Strongest US states over the last decade: Georgia.
Kaileis among us
people named Kailei are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Kailei sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Sounds like Kaylee, a name many people know.
- Comes with Kai as a ready short form.
- Rare, so a Kailei is unlikely to share her name.
- People will write Kaylee or Kailee.
- Hawaiian speakers may read it as KY-lay.
- It has no documented meaning of its own.
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Kailei
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Kaileis are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Kailei are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Kailei in 2025?
- Kailei is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Kailei with classmates?
- Kailei will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More K names
The most-given names starting with K, all years combined.
Karen#1279 · Kimberly#302 · Kathleen#1150 · Katherine#186 · Kelly#851 · Kathryn#729 · Kayla#364 · Kathy#3249
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Kailei? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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