Cairo

KIE-RO

Egyptian place-name, Arabic

"the conqueror, the victorious"

Cairo Origin and Meaning

The name Cairo is a boy's name meaning "the conqueror, the victorious".

Cairo is an exciting place name possibility with upbeat o ending and an on-trend first syllable. Debuting in the US Top 1000 in 2015, it has been climbing ever since, and, as of 2023, it is given to more than 1000 babies each year.

The name derives from the Arabic al-Qāhirah, the name given to the Egyptian city in 969 AD by the Fatimid dynasty. With the meanings "conqueror" or "vanquisher", it was named to celebrate the strength of the dynasty. Today, Cairo is a busy city, a site of historical importance, with ancient buildings and museums but also contemporary architecture and film festivals.

As a given name, Cairo owes its sudden popularity to its choice by rapper Tyga for his son King Cairo's middle name. And Brazilian place kicker Cairo Santos helped popularize the name when he joined the Chicago Bears football team. Santos is named for his father, also Cairo.

Another influence propelling Cairo up the ladder: the popularity of the name Kai. And Cai could certainly be a nickname for Cairo.

Trending upwards in the UK and continuing to climb in the US, Cairo has also been joined in the charts by spelling variations, Kairo and Kyro, and is also given to nearly 50 girls each year. When you combine all these Cairos together, it was given to nearly 3000 babies in a recent year, making it feel like a name around the #120 mark, similar in popularity to Jasper, Emmett, or Milo.

Cairo Rank in US Top 1000

# 333 in the US

Popularity of the name Cairo

• 333 US 2023
• 841 Nameberry 2025
• 222 Future 2028
• 319 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Cairo

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Cairo.

• Milan
• Draven
• Titan
• Kenzo
• Talon
• Nile
• Nakoa
• Kenji
• Nyx
• Raiden
• Keanu
• Denali
• Malek
• Ashe
• Kaiser
• Mako
• Anakin
• Khai
• Zade
• Kyo

Famous People Named Cairo

• King Cairo Stevenson son of American rapper "Tyga"
• Cairo Santos American Football Player

The name Cairo in Pop Culture

• Means "victorious " part of full Arabic name meaning "Mars the victorious," Mars being visible when city was founded
• Keiro from the young,adult novel "Incarceron"