Dog Names That Start With K

Khloe : Chloe :: Kleo : Cleo

Spirit that protects babies from illness...and surname of designer Naomi.

Kyle is stronger and sharper, though many parents will prefer the more distinctly feminine Kyla for their daughters. Kyla may owe much of its popularity to trendy cousin Kayla.

This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert Kennedy, Kennedy is now one of the most popular unisex names, particularly for girls. This is one name that manages to sound trendy and traditional at the same time.

A traditional masculine Hawaiian name that is now also rising for girls.

In English, Kailea is an unusual variant spelling of Kayley or Kaylee. In Hawaiian, Kaileʻa means "sea of joy".

Kailea is one of

Varying the spelling of an established name or word to substitute a k for a c has become more and more kommon, oops, common. Some parents feel that using a different spelling makes the name more of a name and less of a place or a word. Kairo may seem to lend itself particularly well to this practice given that the K spelling turns the first syllable into the stylish name Kai. But we prefer the more authentic Kai or Cairo.

Murakami's Kafka on the Shore features a character named after the famous Czech author of The Metamorphoses.

A Japanese name with lovely meanings.

Punchy surname name that found some favor in the last couple of decades—potentially due to rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was one of the quickest rising boy names in 2013 when it reached its high point at #318.

Unisex name around for several decades for boys and now ripe for girls.

A melodic name that's taking off in the African-American community, along with sound-alikes such as Amari, Jamari, and Damari.

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, whose name was inspired by a Japanese steak house, brought this energetic and appealing name into -- and out of -- the mix. Bryant's tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020 increased the popularity of his name, as fans and admirers named their children Kobe in honor of the star.

Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.

Lovely, authentic name -- but any Kirsten will be condemned to a lifetime of hearing "Did you say Kristen?" They're both genuine Scandinavian names but too interchangeable.

The next Destiny? Kismet seems like it might be fated for increased use.

Kenna is the Scottish version of Kendra, both of which are feminine versions of Kenneth. Used in the TV show Reign for one of the supporting characters.

Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her that if she "finds herself," she'll never go hungry. Other unusual botanical names in the series include Primrose, Posy, Rue, and Clove, all for girls. Several of the boys' names come from ancient Rome: Cato, Seneca, Flavius, Caesar. Katniss the name has less appeal than Katniss the heroine, though it's definitely more attractive than Renesmee.

Though the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only six were named Kinga last year. Is that because Kinga sounds like pseudo-royalty, ala Princessa? Though with names such as Reign and Royal rising through the ranks, the time-honored Kinga may see more widespread usage.

In Turkish mythology, Kayra is the deity of creation. The ancient Turks did not assign a gender to Kayra, who took the form of a goose. According to legend, Kayra planted the tree of life after creating the universe, from which emerged the nine clans.