Kye is a spelling of Kai, a short name found in many languages and most often explained from the Hawaiian word for "sea"; it also serves as a short form of Kyle, from the Gaelic word for a "narrow strait". The single syllable fits the current taste for brief, open boys' names. Kye entered the US top 1000 in 2015, peaked at number 693 in 2016, slipped out again in 2024 and stands at number 1369 in 2025.