Kye
Possibly a modern phonetic rendering of Kai, or a short form of Kyle and Kyler.
Every Kye since 1956 — 5,904 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Kye
Kye is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,369 in 2025 with 136 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1956, 5,904 American babies have been named Kye — about 94% boys and 6% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2016, when 369 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kye stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Kye year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #14,134 | 136 | #1,369 |
| 2024 | 5 | #16,584 | 171 | #1,201 |
| 2023 | 10 | #10,003 | 240 | #942 |
| 2022 | 11 | #9,368 | 277 | #870 |
| 2021 | 8 | #11,696 | 260 | #889 |
| 2020 | 14 | #7,776 | 284 | #815 |
| 2019 | 8 | #11,935 | 288 | #797 |
| 2018 | 8 | #12,006 | 310 | #760 |
| 2017 | 22 | #5,756 | 310 | #760 |
| 2016 | 13 | #8,657 | 356 | #693 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10,536 | 211 | #981 |
| 2014 | 19 | #6,601 | 173 | #1,105 |
| 2013 | 10 | #10,662 | 148 | #1,213 |
| 2012 | 9 | #11,807 | 154 | #1,181 |
| 2011 | 8 | #12,819 | 157 | #1,151 |
| 2010 | — | — | 148 | #1,206 |
| 2009 | 7 | #14,536 | 150 | #1,208 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7,592 | 122 | #1,398 |
| 2007 | 8 | #13,345 | 123 | #1,363 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8,511 | 108 | #1,442 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7,339 | 127 | #1,251 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9,605 | 94 | #1,464 |
| 2003 | 12 | #8,810 | 105 | #1,322 |
| 2002 | 5 | #16,910 | 109 | #1,249 |
| 2001 | 13 | #7,990 | 71 | #1,652 |
| 2000 | — | — | 74 | #1,598 |
| 1995 | — | — | 45 | #1,902 |
| 1990 | 12 | #7,109 | 34 | #2,147 |
| 1985 | — | — | 27 | #2,104 |
| 1980 | — | — | 15 | #3,037 |
| 1975 | — | — | 10 | #3,563 |
| 1970 | — | — | 12 | #2,806 |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 5 | #6,845 | 6 | #3,871 |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Kye
- Kye Sun-hui Wrestler · b. 1979
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kye mean?
Possibly a modern phonetic rendering of Kai, or a short form of Kyle and Kyler.
How popular is the name Kye in 2025?
Kye ranked #1,369 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 136 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Kye?
5,904 babies have been named Kye in the United States since 1956, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Kye most popular?
Kye peaked in 2016, when 369 newborns received the name.
Is Kye a boy or girl name?
Kye is used for both: about 6% of babies named Kye have been girls and 94% boys.
Is the name Kye rising or falling?
Kye has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Kye?
Well-known people named Kye include Kye Sun-hui (wrestler).