How to say it
KAI · ro
ˈkaɪ.roʊ
Masculine
Kairo
The victorious one
What it means
Anglicized respelling of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, from the Arabic al-Qāhirah ('the victorious one'). As a given name it surged with the broader -ai and Africa-referent wave of the 2010s.
Kairo is an anglicized respelling of Cairo, the Egyptian capital. The Arabic name al-Qāhirah means 'the victorious one' or 'the conqueror,' named for the planet Mars (al-najm al-qāhir, 'the conquering star'), which was rising at the moment the Fatimid caliph Al-Mu'izz founded the city in 969. As a given name Kairo and Cairo (both spellings) surfaced in US naming in the 2010s with the -ai cluster (Kai, Kaia, Kairo, Cairo). Beyoncé and Jay-Z named their first child Blue Ivy but not Cairo; the celebrity-baby driver here is more diffuse, including hip-hop and broader African-referent naming. The Kairo spelling entered the US top 1000 in 2017. Common short: Kai.
How to spell Kairo
The standard spelling is Kairo. Common variants include Cairo, Kyro, but Kairo is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #226 in 2025, currently #226 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Cairo (the city's English spelling) and Kairo (the K-respelling) are the same name; the K reads as more stylized and modern American.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Cairo (city) Capital of Egypt, founded 969 by the Fatimid caliphate
Spelling variants
- Cairo
- Kyro
Names with the same feeling
See Kairo from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Kairo mean?
- Anglicized respelling of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, from the Arabic al-Qāhirah ('the victorious one'). As a given name it surged with the broader -ai and Africa-referent wave of the 2010s.
- What does Kairo mean in Arabic?
- In Arabic, Kairo means "The victorious one." Kairo is an anglicized respelling of Cairo, the Egyptian capital. The Arabic name al-Qāhirah means 'the victorious one' or 'the conqueror,' named for the planet Mars (al-najm al-qāhir, 'the conquering star'), which was rising at the moment the Fatimid caliph Al-Mu'izz founded the city in 969. As a given name Kairo and Cairo (both spellings) surfaced in US naming in the 2010s with the -ai cluster (Kai, Kaia, Kairo, Cairo). Beyoncé and Jay-Z named their first child Blue Ivy but not Cairo; the celebrity-baby driver here is more diffuse, including hip-hop and broader African-referent naming. The Kairo spelling entered the US top 1000 in 2017. Common short: Kai.
- How do you pronounce Kairo?
- Kairo is pronounced ˈkaɪ.roʊ. Say it as KAI-ro, with the stress on the "kai" syllable.
- How do you spell Kairo?
- The standard spelling is Kairo. Common spelling variants include Cairo, Kyro.
- Is Kairo a boy or girl name?
- Kairo is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Kairo?
- Kairo ranked #226 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.