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 August 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
- 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.