Here is the game we are playing:
We are going to pretend that we are naming a baby and that the name MUST start with a certain letter, and so we will need one name starting with that letter for a boy and one name starting with that letter for a girl, or else one name that would work for either, EVEN IF we don’t like any of the names that start with that letter enough to Actually In Real Life choose them. It is just a game where we place artificial restrictions on reality in order to create the kind of tension that makes games fun—like when you have to choose what foods you’d eat if you could only eat three foods for the rest of your life: the fun is in thinking it over AS IF it were a real forced decision, while KNOWING it is not. There is a baby! It MUST be given a name with a particular letter! That is the game.
After that basic concept, we can decide our own sub-rules, based on what makes the game fun and not stressful. Some examples:
• I’m not planning to play that the name has to fit with the names of my other children or with the surname, though this would be an option for anyone who would LIKE to play it that way; I think I will have more fun if I pretend it is a stand-alone baby and that the surname is not an issue, though I may change my mind as we go. (And if I narrow it down to a few options and can’t decide, I might use siblings/surname as a tie-breaker.)
• It is also fine to narrow it down to a few finalists without getting to The One Name.
• The boy name and girl name don’t have to work TOGETHER: we are only naming ONE baby, so you’d only use one or the other. But you MAY play that the names have to work together, if that’s more fun.
• It is fine to wave aside issues such as a friend who already used that name, a famous person with the name, etc., if that makes it more fun and less stressful to choose. This is just pretend, so you can pretend that those things aren’t issues if you want to. (Or you can let the issues stand as they are in real life, if THAT is more fun.)
• We can also all make our own decisions about whether the names have to be ones we think we’d ACTUALLY USE in that hypothetical scenario, or just our FAVORITE names starting with that letter, regardless of whether we think the names are practical; I am not sure which way I will play it, and I likely won’t be consistent.
• If you already have a child with a name starting with the letter we’re working on, you get to pick again from all the names that remain; you don’t have to choose your child’s name as your favorite just because it WAS your favorite: this is a FRESH baby, and you wouldn’t give it the same name as your existing child. (If you would normally prefer not to repeat an initial within a sibling group, you can just pretend that’s NOT a preference for the sake of the game.)
• You can do as much or as little explanation as you like in your comment: you can just list the names you chose, or you can explain your process/preferences/reasoning/runners-up, or whatever is most fun.
Today’s letter is K. I had trouble with this one. K names have had a couple of big popularity surges in recent decades, making a lot of the names sound either dated or overused or both. The closest I can come to a name I would actually use is Katherine, but I don’t feel happy about it: the nickname Kathy feels dated; I am exhausted by the nickname Kate after so many Katelyns and so many authors using it for their protagonist; and Kit is adorable but I don’t know that I could make it happen. I also like Karenna and Kimberlin, but they’re outside my familiarity/usage preferences. Oh, Kaye! I pick KAYE! Or possibly Kay. I don’t like the way it can sound like an initial, but I like everything else about it. It’s very uncommon (only 42 new baby girls named Kay and 13 named Kaye in 2019), but it doesn’t FEEL that uncommon.
For a boy I like Kyle, but it feels like that’s graduating into a Dad Name. There are some names I like, but only if they were spelled with a C: for example, I like Korbin but only if it’s Corbin. I like Kellen/Kellan, a name I was unsure about until I heard it in actual use on an adult man and it worked. I like Keaton. I like Kieran. I’d probably choose Karl: I like it anyway but then also it’s a family name.
Now you! If you want to! Only if it’s fun and not stressful! Feel free to adjust the game-play to be fun and not stressful!
I’ve always thought Kateri was adorable for a girl. And Kolbe would be my choice for a boy!
As a Kathryn called Kat, I like my name but always wished it was spelled Katherine. And it does feel dated slightly to me (age 36). Kitsy or Kit is a cute nickname that could work for Katherine and might make the name not feel as dated IMO.
For what it is worth, your name as spelled (Kathryn), is my FAVOURITE version of all of the Catherine varieties!! :)
A dear friend just named her fifth (fourth boy) Kolbe! After Maximilian Kolbe, a 20th-century Polish Catholic saint. (Is that where you know it from too? Otherwise I’ve only seen the Colby spelling like the cheese.)
Also a Kathryn, though I go by Katie. Same age, too
Kieran is on my boy list so I’m going with that for a boy.
For a girl – Katherine, Karina, Kaia … I think I’d go with Katherine (Kat)
For a girl K is easy, Katherine called Kate.
Boys much harder, probably Keenan or Keegan? Is Keith too much of a Dad-Name now?
I think Keith is already a grandpa name and coming back around to sounding cool and original.
Ooo. K is a tough one. I am a product of the Great K Surge of the late 80s and early 90s. It’s that surge that makes it difficult to pick a girl name. I work abroad and every year we get a crop of new interns at my office and teachers at my husband’s work. Every year the majority are still Ks (Kaitlin, Katie, Kylee, Kaley, Kay etc). There aren’t many K names in that sweet spot that is timeless but not super popular. I think I’d pick Kenna. It’s feminine and strong sounding, and I love a traditionally boyish nickname like Kenny.
For boys, I like Kieran and Kellan. I would have been named Kellan if I was a boy, and that always surprised me coming from my parents since it’s not commonly heard. I do think I like Keifer best. It strikes me as a playful name for a boy.
G: Kenna
B: Keifer
For girls I like Kara, Kamala and Neira. Kara is my sister’s nm so that’s out, and probably why I love it so. Kamala I’ve liked for a while but now it has a very strong association, what that to me is positive but I wouldn’t use it, so my final choice is Keira.
For boys I don’t have one that I really love but I like Kyle and Kai.
K is tough. For boys, I do like the Dad names – Kevin, Keith, Kenneth but I don’t love them. I think i would go with Knox – despite the Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie connection.
For girls, it is more of a challenge because of the pervasive use of the name as everyone has mentioned. I also tend to prefer the use of the hard C spellings on many potentially K names. Catherine, Caroline, Cora. I think I would go with Kelly even though it is dated as well.
K is hard for a girl. Kimberly is about the only girl name I’d consider, though it’s not a favorite. Klara has an appeal but is it a true K name? I have a Heidi, so German names appeal to me. Either way, Klara wins.
K is easy for a boy! My last baby is Knox. He is our 10th child, so I was looking for a name with an x. My dad’s family hails from the Knoxville area of TN and my maiden name begins with a K, both subtle but present nods to my Dad’s side as an honor name. He’s 19 months old and it fits him perfectly.
Klara and Knox
Oh Heidi and Klara! Best friends on the classical novel! That’s adorable!
Kassandra and Kurt
I have always had a soft spot for Kendra.
And I agree with Swistle about having a strong preference for C over K – I REALLY like Carys, but not Karys/Karis!
I always struggle with one of the names. Boy this time is easy – it’s always been Kyle. But for girls there are so many similar ones to choose from. In the end I am going with Keira, like the actress. It is the most similar to what our baby name would have been if we’d had a girl – Ciara (in terms of sound). For some reason I prefer the e first in the k version.
I know an almost 3 year old girl named Kalina and I love it! It wears so well and it’s just a gorgeous name.
I named my daughter Kieran (in 1992). It’s a name I had heard in college, and immediately thought, if I ever have a daughter I will name her Kieran. Yes, I realize it’s a boy’s name but I didn’t care; I thought it was beautiful. My maiden name is a very classic Irish surname, which is also a pretty popular first name for boys and girls, so I figured if I gave Kieran my maiden name as her middle name, she could choose to use that instead if Kieran was too unusual. To my surprise and delight, she uses both!
Keira and Konrad!
I’ve always loved Keegan for a boy. I like Kip, too.
I love Kit on a girl, maybe for Kathleen? Or Kick! Kendra is lovely, too. But Kay feels especially stylish. I’d probably have it as a nickname for Katherine or Kathleen.
So: Keegan, Kay
I’ve always loved Kerry for a boy and would pick Kathleen for a girl – apparently Ks make me lean in hard on the Irish heritage!
I find K difficult for the reasons others have listed, K was so overdone for a while! I love Kathleen though, so that’s pretty easy. I wouldn’t mind Kitty as a nickname. I don’t really like any K names for boys but maybe I’d choose Kieran. (I think I really like Cathleen and Ciaran better though!)
I love Kelly for a boy. So for this game, and maybe even this generation where it’s a mom name, I pick Kelly. I loved Kip for years and years and then I married someone with a surname that would make the combo sound like an unpleasant term. Also like Kerwin, Killian and Keefer. My cousin has a Keat0n and it really wears well.
For girls I like Keeley a lot (anglicized spelling) but an Irish friend told me it’s ‘so boring’ (?) so that tainted it a bit. Also love Kit, but for this game I choose Kirby! My choices so far have been shorter and more casual so this fits with my dream alphabet set.
G: Kirby
B: Kelly
Finally a letter that seems easy to me!
Keir
Kerensa
Other girl K favourites:
Karolina
Keary
Keava (Key-ah-va)
Kenna
For a girl, definitely Katharine, called either Kate or Kit. It’s just too classic for me to be sick of it.
For a boy, I like Keir.
Kestrel for a girl! The boy name was harder, but I’m going with Kellan.
K: Kestrel and Kellan
L: Leia and Lance
M: Magnolia and Miles
N: Naomi and Nathaniel
O: Ophelia and Owen
P: Pippa and Peter
Q: Quinn and Quill
R: Rosalie and Roan
S: Susanna and Simon
T: Tessa and Thaddeus
U: Umbria and Urban
V: Vera and Valerian
W: Wren and West
X: Xymeria and Xavier
Y: Ysabel and Yarrow
Z: Zelie and Zebulon
K was TOUGH – nearly as touch as some of the end-of-alphabet letters!
Kathryn is my mom’s name (though she goes by Kathy), so I’m going to go with that for a girl.
For a boy – most of the names I like feel dated – Kyle, Keith, Kurt. I like Kit for boy, but most use it for girls, and it’s a bit nicknamey. So I’ll pick Kirk.
K: (f)Kathryn – (m)Kirk
L: (f)Laurel – (m)Liam
M: (f)Miriam – (m)Miles
N:(f)Naomi – (m)Nigel or Neil
O:(f)Olivia – (m)Orion
P:(f)Penelope(Poppy) – (m)Porter
PH:(f)Phoebe – (m)Phillip
Q:(f or m)Quimby
R:(f)Ruth – (m)Russell or Rhett
S:(f)Simone or Sierra – (m)Seth
T:(f)Tessa/Tess – (m)Tucker
U:(f)Ula – (m)Umberton
V:(f)Viola or Vivian – (m)Vaughn
W:(f)Wynn – (m)Webb or Whit
X:(f)Xanthe – (m)Xavier
Y:(f)Yara – (m)York
Z:(f)Zella – (m)Zeke
Girl: Katryn (nn Kate)
Boy: Keegan
For K I lean into my Scandi heritage. If it can be found at IKEA, so much the better (my own son is a set of bookshelfs-not Billy though). I choose Kai and Karenna. I would pronounce Karenna KaRENna. To be honest I’m not opposed to my aunt’s variation either, Karen, because she was always KAHren not CARE-in.
Yeah, K is a tough one. Like others, I tend to prefer C spellings over K ones. I would choose Katherine, but Catherine is going to be my C pick, so that’s a no. I could go with the more authentically Greek Kalliopi over Calliope, I guess? But that’s a little too bold for a first for my taste. Karina and Kaia are pretty. I guess I would pick Karina, even though it bothers me that it’s a variation of C/Katherine.
Boys? Um…Keegan? Or maybe Kenneth? I do rather love the idea of Krzysztof in honor of my Polish heritage, but I know that would be butchered in the U.S. Hmm, I’m going with Keegan. It’s a little trendier than my usual style, but I’ve always liked it anyway.
I’ve been thinking about K names all week, and its made me realize how much my tastes have changed over the last 20+ years. I happily would have gone with Keira, Kyra, Kyla, etc. Now I’m not a big fan of any of those. I think I’ll go with Katherine, nn Kate – its not super exciting to me, but I like it well enough.
Boys are even harder. I like both Knox and Kingston (or maybe Kingsley, as in Shacklebolt?). I think I’ll go with Knox.
Katherine and Knox
I wouldn’t have thought a K would be so difficult. I’ve landed on Kass for a girl and Keaton for a boy. I do like Katherine, but I’m a Kathryn nn Katie so I feel like I’d have to do my own spelling if I’m naming after myself.
Kiersten for a girl. Maybe Kjersten if I am going All In. For a boy: Karl!
Girl: Katherine. I like Katja and Kira and Kaia, but don’t know if I’d still choose them.
Boy: Kellen was a strong favorite before I had children. I think Kermit is adorable, but not sure if I can picture a teenager or adult with that name.
Kermit! <3 I was thinking about this name the other day. I'm annoyed that Sesame Street and Muppets took so many good names and made them virtually unusable – Kermit, Oscar, Grover. I'd love to see any of them in real life.
I want a baby boy named Grover, so I can call him Groves. The muppet doesn’t bother me much, but Grover Cleveland paired with the muppet is rough. Ugh! It’s also a bit of a tongue twister with our last name. But in my dreams I’d do it!
Yeah, K. So as someone born in 1970, Ks seem very overdone. I like Keira, Kiley, and Kenzie, but can’t really imagine using any of them. I feel like I know at least one young person with every single K name and they all seem so blah. Same with boys. I’d always had Keegan on my list but now I know a Keegan and eh, not sure. Other possibles are Kinsley and Keaton. I guess if I had to choose, it would be:
K: Keira & Keegan
L: Laurel & Lowell
M: Millicent (nn Millie) & Miller (my maiden name and I am still salty I didn’t use it for my last son)
N: Nina & Noah (Nina is a family name)
O: Ophelia (nn Phee) & Oliver (nn Ollie)
P: Piper & Porter (runners up: Poppy & Payton)
Q: Quinn (either boy or girl)
R: Ruby & Rafe (runners up: Riley & Remy)
S: Seraphina (nn Phee) & Sawyer (runners up: Sutton & Sebastian)
T: Tallulah (nn Lulu) & Tyler (runner up: Talia)
U: Urla & Ulric
V: Vashti & Varden (runner up: Violet)
W: Willow & Winter (runners up: Wren & Willa)
X: Xiomara & Xavier
Y: Yara & Yates
Z: Zola & Zachary
Kipling & Kalila (hardest letter for me)
This is so much harder than expected!
I like Kara and Klara, but that’s about it!
I’ll go with Kit for either girl or boy though :)
I have Kennedy & Kendall on my list of names for girls & Kara on the list of middle names (an honor name).
My grandfather was named Kiva (pronounced kee-vah). I wanted to use it for a boy or a girl but my husband vetoed it…..
Karissa for a girl and Kiran for a boy
I agree that K is unexpectedly tough, partially because many of the K SOUNDS I like feel like an obnoxious spelling change to give your child a sassy letter (like Kaleb or Korbin or etc.), or feel EXCESSIVELY trendy but trendy as of 10-15 years ago (Kylie, Kaitlin).
HOWEVER, one of my favorite boy names is Kieran. Gabriel was either going to be Gabriel or Kieran. It was also one of the names that we considered for Everett, but ultimately rejected because I couldn’t stand the thought of Gabriel’s dad thinking he had anything to do with naming my subsequent children, even though it was MY name that *I* liked and anyway the fun thing about this game is the part where that wouldn’t be a problem! For girls I choose Kathryn. I feel that Catherine, Katherine and Kathryn are all equally acceptable spellings of the name, and for my particular family Kathryn is the family honor name spelling, and I like that it gives a nice little nod to my maternal grandmother’s family naming tradition of girl-names-with-a-second-syllable-y-element (Evelyn, Gladys, Caryl, and my mom was very nearly Apryl but grandpa vetoed it to April).
K: Kieran and Kathryn
L: Leland and Louisa
M: Matthew & Margot
N: Neil & Nadine (strong second place Naomi)
O: Oscar & Opal
P: Patrick & Paloma (close seconds are Peter & Pearl)
Q: Quinn (for either, because I already have a Quentin)
R: Robert & Ruth (special shout out to Ramona)
S: Sawyer & Sylvie
T: Toby & Tabitha
U: Uriel & Una
V: Vincent & Veronica
W: Walter & Winonah (honorable mention to Warren)
X: Xavier & Xia
Y: Yusef & Yolanda
Z: Zachary & Zelda (but upon reflection I think maybe Zinnia)
I come from a K loving family! My mom and her sisters all have K names, I’m Kaitlyn, and several of my cousins have K names. Many of us have chosen not to continue this K theme (including me, none of my kids names start with K).
Some K girl names I like are Kelby, Kyla, Kate, and I recently heard the name Keeley on the show Ted Lasso and liked it. But if I had to name a daughter with a K I’d choose Karys, even though I prefer it spelled Charis.
For a boy I would probably go with Knox.
Boy: Kyle
Honorable mentions: Killian, Keanu :3
Girl: …Katriel?
Kellan for a girl & Keiran for a boy
*Kieran (previous one is a typo)
I agree with many others that I would try to avoid a currently or formerly very trendy “k” name, especially not a name that felt like it should properly be spelled with a “c” (like Kourtney). However, I do love the letter “k” when the “k” spelling is the most common spelling, is used as the spelling in another language (like Klara), or seems like the best transliteration of a name from another language (like Khloe since the name is transliterated from the Greek alphabet).
For a boy, my favorite “k” name is Kai, but it is the short form of my son’s name, so I can’t pick it for a new child. Knox is nice but feels like cheating because it doesn’t have the “k” sound. I would love Killian (but it starts with “kill”, Keifer (but it rhymes with “reefer”), Kurt, and Keanu on other people’s children, but they wouldn’t be right for mine. I would consider using Kestrel on a boy and then probably chicken out. I love the Russian Kolya, but it’s the diminutive of Nikolai, so it’s not really a “k” name, and I would only spell Cole as Kole if I used it as a nickname for Nikolai. That leaves only Konstantin (the transliterated Russian form, nicknamed Kostya) as the winning boy name.
For a girl, I have no clear winner. I have loved the name Katie or Kadie since I was young, but I don’t love many of the potential long forms starting with “k” such as Katherine or Kathleen, and I don’t love nicknamey names on the birth certificate. I used to consider many other options, but most of them were not ideal, especially in names like Katerina, Katalina, and Kataleya, where the “a” would be pronounced as a short “a” by English speakers when I would prefer an “ah” sound. Katrina was ruined by the storm and also sort of contains my own name. No one would know how to pronounce the “rz” sound in the gorgeous Polish Katarzyna, either. Katara makes me think of catarrh. My family is from a different tribe than Kateri, and I am also not Catholic, so maybe that doesn’t quite work. Maybe Katriel would do the job? Or should I give this up entirely and try some other names? Kaia and Kaira are too close to my son’s nickname, so they are out. Kilmeny starts with the same sound as “kill.” Karina sort of contains my own name, and Kalina and Karolina rhyme with it. Kara might not be pronounced with the “ah” sound. Along with Katriel, this leaves Klara, Kalliopi, Kallisto/a, Kira/Keira, and Ksenya as possibilities. I would have to meet the child first, but I think I might want Ksenya to win.
The Ks show how much my taste has changed. As a teenager I very much loved the name Kaitlyn And it is a great name but not my style now. My 16 year old would have been Kate if a girl. Now I’m struggling to choose a K for either sex. I think Keziah (KEZ-ee-uh) for a girl and Karl or Kurt for a boy. Both solid names but not really my style.
When I was a kid (maybe seven or eight years old) I wanted to have three boys and name them Andrew, James, and Kevin, but Kevin wore off on me a long time ago. I think I’d go with Kiersten for a girl and Karl for a boy (which I should note has grown on me because of your advocacy for it, Swistle).
Katarina is good, too.
Kimber after my mother (Kimberly/Kim) for a girl, Kai for a boy.
I really like some of the “mom” generation K names, but they don’t feel fresh. Think Kelly, Kimberly, Kristen, etc. I actually always LOVED Kiersten (keer-sten), but was always sure it’d be confused for Kristen and misspelled. I liked Kendall, but not the Jenner/Kardashian connection. I like Kara, but think I prefer it with as Cara. I adore Kate, but with the Duchess and recent usage, it no longer feels special. The only other K name I’ve always had a soft spot for is Kendra and I think it’s versatile and beautiful. My grandfather was Kenneth (Kenny) so it feels like a feminine honor name, too. So for a girl, I choose Kendra.
For boys, I think my preferences also feel like “dad” generation names. Favorites are Keith, Kyle, Kirk, and Kevin. More modern, I really like Knox, but not sure I’d be brave enough to use it, it’s a bit of an outlier for my normal style. I have no standouts, but think I choose Keith!
K – (f) Kendra, (m) Keith
L – (f) Louisa, (m) Logan
M – (f) Mallory, (m) Marshall
N – (f) Nadine, (m) Neil
O – (f) Odette, (m) Oliver
P – (f) Pia, (m) Parson
Q – (f) Quincy, (m) Quaid
R – (f) Ramona, (m) Roger
S – (f) Susanna, (m) Sullivan
T – (f) Thora, (m) Tatum
U – (f) Uma, (m) Umber
V – (f) Virginia, (m) Vaughn
W – (f) Whitney, (m) Wade
X – (f) Xaida, (m) Xander
Y – (f) Yardley, (m) York
Z – (f) Zoe, (m) Zachary
I’m a Katherine of the 90s and indeed have some K fatigue. I know a mom who speaks of her little Kieran with such affection that just listening to her talk about him automatically makes you love the name too. I think I’m ready for Kelly to come back, even though it *should* feel to soon, it doesn’t. Kendra is a good one, from the comment above.
If I am naming two random kids though, I think I’ll go with Kalina and Kai, and expect that the names are culturally appropriate to the babies in question. Hello babies Kalina and Kai! You sound very cute!
I feel like every time I thought of a K name, I realized that I really wanted it to be spelled with a C. In the end, I chose Kavita and Kai, but I would probably never use these in real life.
Girl- Keeley
Boy- Kai
Boy: Kerry. My eldest’s name and my husband’s middle, though its been a favorite since I was in elementary school.
Girl: Krystyna. I had an awesome Polish born professor named Krystyna G. and its just such an interesting variation. Wouldn’t use it without a closer connection, though.
Kerensa and Kieran
I have a Katherine we meant to call Wren whom we actually call Birdie. I know it’s not fresh. It’s just so pleasing. There’s a reason it’s been popular since the Middle Ages!
For a new baby…Kestrel. I have loved it for half my life, and I think I’d use it for either sex.
K: Kestrel
L: Louisa and Luke
M: Mae and Matthias
N: Nicola or Nicholas
O: Octavia and Oliver
P: Paulina or Paul
Q: Quartz and Quentin
R: Rosa and Raphael
S: Sylvie and Samuel
T: Theodora and Timothy
U: Una and Ulysses
V: Vera and Valerian
W: Willa and Walter
X: Xenia and Xavier
Y: Yvaine and Yves
Z: Zinnia and Zachary
K was hard. So many K names just sound too trendy or cutesy.
For a girl name it came down to Kiersten or Klara. I think both would be challenging/annoying names requiring a lot of explanation of the spelling. That said, I just don’t like the sound of any other K names I can think of. Because I already have a daughter with an -a ending to her name I guess I’d use Kiersten just to avoid too much matchiness in the sibling set. It bugs me a bit that we aren’t Scandinavian at all, but I think it’s mainstream enough now that it’s okay.
Boys are even harder. I was completely uninspired until Swistle reminded me that Carl can be spelled with a K. I like the way Karl sounds so I’d go with that, although I definitely prefer it with a C.
Kirsten, despite the pronunciation challenges. Is it Keer-sten or Kur-sten? I don’t know, but I like it! Runners up: Kira, Katherine, Katya. None of the K boys names thrill me, but Kieran is nice.
OK, time for me to go back on this quiet afternoon and fill in the letters I’ve missed.
Katherine is a little staid for me, but unlike many of the other names I’ve chosen for this game, it fits with our naming style and all the incidental quirks that go along with it – our two girls are Livia and Josephine, both names with ties to my own family tree, and since my mom is Kathleen, that still fits. Also, too, both happen to be names of empresses, which my daughters love to hear about, and though the spelling is different, Katherine still ticks that box. And I really like the nicknames Kate and Katie.
For boys, my husband and I seriously considered Kelvin before we actually had babies to name. Right around the time our first daughter was born, he started working with a Kelvin, and the name withered on the vine for us, though I think I could learn to love it again on an actual child of mine. Instead, I choose Kellan, which has a similar sound but is less harsh and has the same nickname possibility of Kel.
Kai for any gender!
It’s my son’s middle name, an honor name for a Mordechai.
I also really like Katrin and several of you have convinced me that Keith is cool!
I have the same choice as Jennie, Kai for either gender.
Katarina and Keith (my grandfathers middle name)
I must have missed L….
N: Naomi and Nathaniel
O: Olive and Oak
P: Phoebe and Peregrine
Q: Quinn and Quentin
R: Rowena and Ransom
S: Sylvia/Savannah and Simeon
T: Tara and Thomas
U: Una and Uther
V: Vivienne/Vera and Vincent/ Vale
W: Willa and Wallace
X: Xena and Xavier
Y: Yael and Yves
Z: Zella and Zion
I’m very late to this party, but I’ll answer anyway! For a girl, I like Katherine, solely to get to the nickname Kate, which I love despite the fact that it’s so popular.
For a boy, I like Killian, but (1) while I do have some Irish heritage, I don’t feel Irish enough to pull that one off, and (2) I’d never stop thinking of Killian’s Irish Red. Not necessarily a bad association, just a very strong one for me. In real life, I’d probably pick Kevin — which would have been my mom’s name if she had been a boy!
Ditto everyone’s comments about K names being tough bc of overuse in the 90’s and the Kardashian effect.
I would have to go with Kate for a girls name. Even though it is overused in romantic comedies and books, I still love it. It’s a classic for a reason I guess.
I feel like K boy names are really having a moment. We know SO. MANY. KAIS! We even know two separate families with sons named Kieran and Kai. So to me they feel overused even though I think it hasn’t reached the level of popularity in the US as it seems to have overseas. It seems like a dad name, but I think I would have to go with Kevin, nickname Kev for a boy.
Final answer:
Kate and Kevin
Ah, I have never heard Kalina, but it’s so lovely! Korin might be kicky for a girl, too.
For a boy, I choose Kemmis! It’s a friend’s middle name — his mother’s maiden name — and I use it as his nickname for him.
I have a sister Katherine (Katie) with a toddler daughter named Kathleen (Kit). I think it’s a wonderfully fresh spin on the Katherine/Kate.
Kate and Kaleb.
This one was harder than I expected. There aren’t really any boys’ K names that I love, besides Kai – which I like for any gender, but I have an association that ruins it for me. I guess I’d go with Kade.
For a girl: Katrina, to honor a close family friend who is terminally ill.
Runners up: Kiara, Kendra, Kaia
K: Katrina, Kade
M: Mirah, Matteo
N: Nadia, Nathaniel
O: Ocean
P: Patrick, Pearl
Q: Quill, Quiara
R: Ramona, Raphael, River
S: Simone, Sylvan, Sage
T: Talia, Theodore
U: Uma, Uriah
V: Vanessa, Vaughn
W: Wednesday, Wade
X: Xiomara, Xavier
Y: Yvonne, Yonatan, Yael
Z: Zora, Zayn
Kenneth & Katarina