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Kai Family History

Kai Surname Meaning

Japanese: original meaning could be 貝 ‘shell’ but the name is written phonetically with two characters 甲斐 ‘tortoise shell’ and ‘beauty’. Though the surname is found mostly in the island of Kyūshū some families could have connections with the ancient province of Kai (now Yamanashi prefecture) in the mountains of central Honshū whose name is written with the two characters above.

Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surname 蓋 see Gai

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 解 see Xie

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 計 see Ji

Altered form or a rare variant of North German and Danish (and perhaps also of Dutch) Kay.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Kai family from?

You can see how Kai families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kai family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Kai families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Kai family living in Durham. This was 100% of all the recorded Kai's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Kai families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kai surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Kai ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kai. 22% of Kai men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Kai women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kai were Farm Laborer and Servant.

View Census Data for Kai | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    22%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Proprietor
    8%
  • Farm Laborer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    25%
  • Housemaid
    19%
  • Teacher
    19%
  • Servant
    13%

What Kai family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Kai. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kai census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kai

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Kai. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kai immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Kai. For the veterans among your Kai ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kai military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kai family history

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What is the average Kai lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Kai life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1962, and highest in 1974. The average life expectancy for Kai in 1947 was 78, and 64 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kai

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kai ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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