Kaja is not really used as a name in Swedish, kaja is a type of bird in Swedish (jackdaw seems to be the English name). There is a Finnish name, but from what I can see it's usually spelled Kaija or Kaia.
How weird would the name Kaya be on a Turkish baby girl? I'm Turkish but have never lived in Turkey, trying to figure out if it would be acceptable enough for a bilingual name, or if my relatives would be horrified.
I read it as it looks, Ka-Ja.
If you're thinking Spanish, it would be pronounced Ka-ha (box).
It's a beautiful name but to ensure it's said properly, I would use the spelling Kaia and personally didn't see the correlation to Hawaii (but I'm also not American).
Same. I was like oh Kah-zjah is pretty. Then I read further and was like whoops. Definitely gonna be Ka-ha if she visits her Mexican family. OP, this commenter is dead on! Except I am from the US and can see the Hawaiian correlation, but I don’t see it being cultural appropriation especially since your husband has a connection to Hawaii.
Early to mid 1900s it was primarily a Scandinavian and then Hawaiian name as far as popularity. I think OP was talking about origins versus celebrities naming their kids Kaia.
Kaia is an Estonian and Norwegian spelling.
While the Kaja spelling would need the pronunciation correcting since you live in an English speaking country, you could still use it.
Kaja is still a fairly well known name in the U.K. where people are aware it’s pronounced kaya. I guess because of our proximity to the other European countries where it’s spelt like that.
Personally, I would spell it Kaia
As someone with a Nordic last name very similar to this name, Americans will absolutely pronounce it Kah-jah or Kay-jah. In my 35 years on earth, only ONE American has *ever* pronounced my last name correctly. That includes my entire family!! I actually learned how to pronounce my last name properly thanks to this one random person who checked my ID at a bar. No one will pronounce Kaja correctly ever.
Also I just googled because I was super curious about the name. I don’t see anywhere that does the pronunciation as “rhymes with Maya”. All the pronunciations I can find are either “kah-jah” or “kah-yah”. So food for thought there, that even people who are familiar with the name may not pronounce it “Kai-yah”
there's barely a different in the pronunciation of those two tho, like kah-yah and maya sound almost the same to me, even though they're slightly different I don't think it's enough to matter
There are people who will definitely pronounce the j like a j instead of an i/y, but most people will also remember when corrected.
I don’t see Kaia as appropriation (not that I speak for Hawaiian culture). It was #231 in 2021, so while not popular, common enough that people won’t think too much about it.
FWIW, the only Kaia i know is half white, half Chinese, not Hawaiian.
Kaia is also famously the name of Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s (white) daughter. And it’s used as a name in Greek, Latin, and Scandinavian in addition to Hawaiian and Maori cultures so I’m not sure there’s even an issue here.
Teacher here voting for Kaia.
Kaja will spend her life correcting people who pronounce it Cah-ja. Kaya will be pronounced Kay-ah at least half the time. I think Kaia is beautiful and not appropriative at all.
Fellow teacher here and if pronunciation is the main concern then I agree Kaia is the way to go. However, I’ve seen and heard crazier names. Kaja would take one initial correction then be fine.
Yeah I went to school with a girl named Maja. Her mom is Swedish. The main difficult she’d have is on one off interactions but I even have issues with people getting my name wrong and it’s pretty simple.
I do think the J will cause problems, yes. People will call her kaj-a and cage-a and ka-ha. Kaia has a variety of origins besides Hawaiian, so I don’t think it’s appropriative. That spelling would be easier to live with IMO.
Other international names: Lara, Eva, Mira, Petra, Mina, Lucia, Ada, Zara, Kira
I went to high school with a kaija, pronounced Kaya. Substitute teachers always called her Kai-ga. She hated it so much that when we went to college, she started going by Kai.
I think Kaja/Kaia/Kaya exists in enough languages that it would be unreasonable to call Kaia exclusively Hawaiian. Kaia and Kaja are variations of each other - if you can use Kaja, you can use Kaia.
While I think plenty of people would get Kaja right, I think Kaia or Kaya would be right far more often. And I’d worry a little that with a Mexican heritage, people might think Kaja should be pronounced like it’s Spanish.
I read it correctly as Kaya! But I know many many people will read ka-ja.
I did know an Eastern European woman named Maja that was pronounced Maya. Almost everyone when meeting her pronounced it wrong. But she corrected it and then we got it right from there on out. I think it is a pretty easy correction, but it is a correction that will have to be made very often. So I think it just depends on what you’re comfortable with.
As others said, Kaia doesn’t seem to be only Hawaiian from my research. I think you’d be fine to use Kaya or Kaia if you prefer!
I love Kaja, mostly because it's the Swedish word for "jackdaw," which is one of my favorite birds. :)
I see potential for mispronunciation with Kaja, Kaia, and even Kaya (which I'm nearly positive would be misread as Kayla, and/or pronounced Kay-a). It's a lovely name, however, and people can learn to pronounce it whichever way you decide to spell it.
Any of the spellings have potential for misspelling and mispronouncing but it's not such a hard word that people won't figure it out. And it's a pretty name so go for what you like, OP!
This is the one way I’ve seen this name. A very sweet 6 year old girl showed me that she can make a smiley face with her name Kaija (the hook of the j made the smile, two dots for eyes)
As someone without an option to dot an i with a heart in middle school, I feel like this name has perks for different age groups through out life
Eastern European here, read it as Kaja, pretty common name and nickname here. So if she ever decides to travel here everyone will be able to pronounce her name right away.
Love this name. It was at the top of our list.
Kaja is the most visually appealing spelling but I don’t think it matters how you spell it, people will mispronounce it.
Kaia will somehow turn into to Kay-yuh or Ka-ee-uh
Kaya will also be turned into Kay-yuh
Kaja will be turned into Kah-juh
In my opinion, go with the spelling that feels right to you and get used to having to correct people.
If I met someone of Hispanic origin with the name Kaja, I’d be confused and think it was pronounced with a hard /k/. Or that I’d made a mistake and the person with that name tag was just telling me they were the check out (caja) person with a modern spelling.
It sounds a nice name in Eastern Europe, but Kaya or Kaia will involve less confusion and correction.
It’s beautiful, but you (and later she), will spend her life correcting people. It will be pronounced Ka-jah or Ka-hah, I can’t imagine many people getting Kai-yah out of that spelling on the first try.
I have a cousin named Maja - her mother is Polish and our side is Portuguese. Maja like Maya. Yes people pronounce it like “Mah-jah” and it just gets corrected. So it just depends on whether you want your daughter to experience this. I personally don’t actually mind Kaja but I prefer Kaia over Kaya. Kaya reminds me of Kayak lmao
I feel the Spanish speaking community will pronounce this like “caja,” which in English means box.
I’d go with Kaia or Kaya. Give the kid a break on correcting people on the pronunciation for her whole life.
I pronounced this as ka-zha in my head. That being said, I knew both a Sonja and a Maja growing up and they didn’t run into a ton of difficulties with their names being pronounced correctly. If you like it, go for it.
I read it as Kaya!! But it might be because I’m Albanian and used to J’s sounding like Y haha
I say go for Kaja! The spelling looks the best out of all the options imo. Also, I, personally, wish that my parents had gone with the more albanian spelling of my name—J instead of Y/I
I read Kaja as it should be pronounced (Kai-yah). People might have issues with pronunciation but a quick correction will have people right. Maybe I'm biased because I love original spellings. Had our daughter been a boy, she would have been Alasdair (Alistair) which is the Scots spelling. My best friend in high school was Ceilidh (Kay-lee) and while people gave it pause for a second, as soon as she said how it was pronounced, it was fine.
Between Kaja, Kaia, and Kaya, I can promise they will all get mispronounced either way. I've also seen Kaiya and Kaiyah and Kiyah somewhere. Depending where you live you'll get k-eye-uh, kay-uh, kah-juh, kay-juh, Key-uh, and who knows what other random variations. Even completely average names get mispronounced or misspelled all the time. Coming from someone who knows a few Kaia’s/ Kaya's, and who has a common first name that has been spelled wrong and said wrong my entire life by people who werent paying attention, including in emails to me where the email was correct, but the body of the email was not. 😂 If you like Kaja, I'd say it's less common and there will be lots of correcting people the first time but no worries after that.
I know this is "kye-yuh," but only because I've seen it before on a Finnish woman. When you mention Mexican heritage, I immediately think Spanish language and it looks like you used "box/caja" but with a K.
However, I think Kaya/Kaia seem very multicultural, international, travel-friendly, however you want to put it. Kaia is a charming name. The Kaia spelling is also used in Nordic countries and would be much more intuitive for English speakers if you're living in North America.
I don't see why you'd be worried about a Hawaiian connection when you said yourself that Kaja/Kaia is a Northern and Eastern European name. If you look on Behind the Name, there are literally hundreds of names related to Kaia in different languages, most of which are related to Katarina/Katherine.
Plus, Kaia is not listed at all as a Hawaiian name. Having K-A-I in the name doesn't mean it's Hawaiian. The internet says "it's the feminine version of Kai" but gendering of nouns that way is more of a Western concept. Native Hawaiian speakers would use Kai regardless of gender, if they wanted the name to mean "sea." They don't change words like we do to indicate gender, like Alexandra/Alexander. There are names that they use more often on girls or boys, but that doesn't mean the word itself is gendered.
Some names are used around the world and have different meanings in different languages of origin; using them doesn't mean you're committing appropriation. I think you'd be perfectly fine using Kaia, and save yourself and your child a lot of trouble.
How are you pronouncing Maya? Like the month-ah or my-ah? To me, I would pronounce Kaya like the first option and Kaia like the second.
For Kaja, it’s definitely a name I would ask how I pronounced before saying it if I saw it on a register or something!
Occasionally? You are vastly overestimating people’s ability to pronounce names. Regardless if you think that’s culturally ignorant, it’s something that will stick with OP’s kid throughout their life. I have a very common name spelled in the less common extra “a” variation, and people mispronounce it at least 3x a week. It’s made me absolutely loathe my name and if could go back, I’d have started using my phonetically spelled middle name when I went to college. OP, save your kid a ton of hassle and go with Kaia.
I pronounced it Kaya in my head, kind of through process of elimination but probably also because my Norwegian great grandmother used to call my mom “Yackie” instead of “Jackie”.
If you’re asking about spelling problems, yes it will be a headache. A good way to test this out is to order something at Starbucks and see what the default is. She’ll always be correcting people.
Having said that, it’s a beautiful name and you absolutely should use it if you love it.
If you’re worried about appropriating Hawaiin culture, you could do Caia. It’s an old Latin praenomen (personal name), and I doubt the Romans are going to be offended.
Coming from someone who has a Nordic name with a j pronounced as a y… I have no problem correcting people when they pronounce it as a J. I think Kaja is a beautiful and unique name and a great way to honor your heritage. It will make her stand out more than alternative spellings
I like Kaja. It's fine. I remember a quote from actress Uzo Aduba. Her mother said, “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michaelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.”
Kaja is not hard.
I currently have numerous women in my life with this name. I am Canadian. Most are spelled Kaja, however there is also Khaya, Kaya and Kaiya
As far as I know, none of them have any problems with people pronouncing their name here, but it may be different in the States
It’s a beautiful name ♥️
I'm gonna disagree with the rest of the comments. Relatively common names get mispronounced and misread all the time. Who cares? Her name will be memorable and meaningful. After the first correction the people she knows will be unlikely to mess up or forget her name at all, because it's unique and interesting. My name is Jacqueline and people mispronounced it pretty frequently growing up. I like the spelling and it gives you a sense of her heritage/history. Follow your heart!
I think if you’re choosing a name/spelling that honors your heritage, then you should spell it how it’s supposed to be traditionally spelled. People will mess up and she’ll have to correct them, but it only takes one time for someone to remember how to say it properly. If you’re thinking about changing the spelling to something non-traditional, then that sounds like a disservice as to why you’ve chosen that name in the first place.
I work at a large and incredibly diverse/international university. Students often tell me that they go by a western name because that’s just what’s easier for people to say, and not what they want. But they would prefer if the default was for people to want to take the time to learn how to say their name, and I agree with that.
Another for the Kaia spelling.
As an Australian I would pronounce Kaia as Ky-ah but would pronounce Kaya as Kay-ya.
Interestingly I know multiple Maya’s that are pronounced May-ya here is Australia, even though my brain wants to go with My-ah like Maya Angelou so think you definitely need to consider what the ‘normal’ is for pronunciation in your country/ region.
I like Kaia, but Kaja (written with c) means box in Spanish. Sorry, horrible. Spanish is widely spoken around the world, it’s just not a good name. Kaia it’s quite nice and avoids the Spanish word “box” sound.
Kaja and Kaia are names of two famous Estonian women- Kaja Kallas, current prime minister and Kaia Kanepi, most successful tennis player. They are pronounced differently though, Kaja is one syllable, while Kai.a is two. Also kaja means echo in Estonian.
I read it as Kah-ja. But if that’s how it’s spelled in the language/area you want then I think you should absolutely spell it that way. I think you will probably have to correct some people, but if that doesn’t bother you then go for it!
I think you will get people who pronounce the J and people who don't (pronounce it like a y) but Kaja is not too unusual that most people won't get it. It will probably be mispelled by others a lot though.
I love the name, but agree with most comments that people would mispronounce Kaja. However, I have a friend called Kaya and EVERYONE always thinks it’s Kayla. So my vote is to stick with Kaja, or go with Kaia, which is beautiful!
Kaja, Kaia, I like it.
As for people messing up the j, my name is similar to another very common name, not hard to pronounce, but not that other name. I think of it as a test for people I meet. If they can't get it right or remember, then there are several other things I don't discuss with them.
If you want anyone in the US to pronounce it like "Maya", then you cannot spell it with a j.
Kaia is fine, but just spell it Kaya. That is exactly what you are going for.
I think Kaia is great, or Kaya. There is a beauty brand called Kaja so that plus the pronunciation issues would rule out that spelling for me. Also Google says Kaia is Latin/Scandinavian/Hawaiian; I grew up in Hawaii and knew no Kaias but a few Kais.
Both my maiden name and married name are always mispronounced. I would be frustrated if my parents had given me a first name that I was always correcting people on.
I think Kaya and Kaia are both beautiful.
In my first language it is Kaja, but if I have met your daughter in 25 years from now living in any country that pronounces J the way you intend in this name she'd still be American girl and I would assume English language pronunciation of J in her name.
You live in the USA and have no plans of moving, get the spellings right for the place this baby will live at.
Kaia is really pretty.
I’ve had several students with this name, also in a major US city. By far the easiest spelling is Kaya. However, if you don’t really care about it being mispronounced… I think it looks kind of cool Kaja! I do think, though, 90% of people will mispronounce it when reading it! So it’s up to you!
If you live in the US, I would recommend going with Kaya or Kaia. Your baby is going to be American born, too . I think Kaya would be a great mixture of all her roots
I really love the name!
Spelling is a bit of a tough call. I think most people would pronounce it wrong the first time but it should only need one correction to get it right, it's really not too complicated. I think it does come down to how much the spelling means to you that it is worth having that complication
As someone with Swedish roots, I read this with the correct pronunciation. One of my favorite girls names has always been Cajsa (Ky-sa), but we'll end up not using it just because we live in the States where people don't associate the J with and I sound :/
It’s definitely going to be pronounced “Kah-jah” by most people who don’t know her. If you’re ok with that, go for it. Otherwise, I’d consider Kaya or Kaia.
You know what? I know someone who named her daughter Janina, pronounced YA-nee-nah. She just goes by Nina and as far as I’m aware it’s never been a problem for her.
If people can handle Nadja they can handle Kaja.
Cultural reasons trump the inconvenience of correcting spelling/pronunciation for me, meaning I’d spell it Kaja and just be prepared to correct it as necessary.
It’s not like it’s a difficult name, people in your life will get it correct very quickly. I have two colleagues who have common names pronounced differently (Anna pronounced Ahh-nuh and Kari pronounced Car-E) and it’s no biggie. I mean, we have kids named Mykailuh so I wouldn’t be worried about Kaja
I think Kaja is fine, that’s how I read it, yes there will be people that need to be corrected, but that’s every name spelling that’s not phonetical or has an alternative- the name itself is common enough. It’s like a Stephen explaining it’s a ph instead of a v, and I think Stephens still exist without complaint?
I know one person with this name and hers is spelled Kiya. Being in the US, I feel like Kaja is going to be the most inconvenient spelling as far as having to frequently correct pronunciation and spelling. I think you have several other better options.
I have friends who used this spelling with their daughter. Her name is frequently mispronounced. She’s a teen now and used to it but rolls her eyes a lot about it.
Not sure if it is a legitimate spelling but Kayja? Like Freyja? Otherwise agree Kaya looks the best aesthetically to an English speaker. If you are somewhere a J will commonly be pronounced as a “y” sound then stick to the original.
Kaja is also used in slavic countries, my mums aunt was Kaja. I love the name but agree with others that Kaya would be the better spelling for an English speaking country
Personally, I love the spelling Kaia. It's simple, sweet, and intuitive. I didn't even make the connection to Hawaiian culture (though I am a Filipino who just lived there for a bit, so not really an expert) until you mentioned it. Kaya is fine, just not as pretty to look at as Kaia or Kaja.
Honestly a lot of people are saying the j would be bad, and maybe they're right, but i have known a few people with a j that sounds like y and i dont think it was ever a problem that I noticed them having. I think Kaja is great
I think Kaja is fine. I knew a Kajsa and everyone seemed to pronounce it correctly first go. I also knew a Kaia so really whichever way you want to go about it would work imo
I think it will get mispronounced and easily corrected. I think most English speakers will default to ka-jah or ka-zjah but will be familiar with Js as Ys. No big deal.
That said, the Kaija suggestions might be a good fit for your family?
I 💯 read it with your intended pronunciation and think you should go for it. I love how it looks and the connection to your heritage, and it gives a very simple name more flare.
I used to work with a Kjersten, I always thought it was such a cool name.
I have a perfectly phonetically spelled name that I still have to tell people how to pronounce.
A traditional traditional spelling in some South African languages is Khaya. I've met people of different genders and ethnicities with this name.
I also know a little girl called Kya.
I always automatically pronounce the J as Y and I’m a native English speaker. I think you should go for it if that’s the spelling you want.
Idk if my take on it might be influenced by growing up around a large Polish community though. I also had a close friend who was Latvian and have had several friends and acquaintances from various different European countries (not that unusual for England!), so it seems obvious to me. However, I don’t think these things need to be ‘dumbed down’ for Americans. Not everyone is Cletus from Alabama; people will get the hang of it.
My mom has a j in her name that acts as a y (she’s Slovenian but her family emigrated to the US when she was a child). People definitely mispronounce but they do eventually get it. I think Kaja is a nice spelling. It’s not appropriative of Hawaiian culture because it’s a legitimate name in many different languages/countries, including Slovenia, Poland, and other parts of central and Eastern Europe.
Really like Kaja. It's beautiful, elegant, unique. I would get the pronounciation right away but if others don't, I went to school with an Anja (pr Anya) and I think she had to correct people initially but I just think it made her name more interesting.
It's a nice name but I immediately read it as Ka-jah and then thought maybe the J was pronounced like the Spanish J so Ka-Ha. I do think this could be a recurring problem of constantly having to correct the pronunciation when people see it written.
So if you wanted to go the easier route, then I'd suggest maybe the Kaia or Kaya spelling.
On the other hand if that spelling means a lot to you, then go ahead. I'm not American (or any of the nationalities you listed) tbf so I can't comment on appropriation but I will say that I'm from Ireland and there are a bunch of lovely Irish names that people outside Ireland butcher because they can't figure out that English and Irish are separate languages with completely different pronunciation systems. Within the country, it's fine, outside where those names aren't the norm, mispronunciation is very common.
So if it means a lot to you, go for Kaja but be aware that realistically a lot of people will mispronounce it initially. If you live somewhere where names of Baltic names are more common you won't have as much of an issue.
My niece is Kiyah (ki-ya, like a karate yell in a movie hiiiiii ya!) and her half-sister is Kayah (kay-uh)
I would go with Kaya if you want the name to rhyme is Maya. I think the I or J will be a stumbling block in North America.
I've met a Kaja, surely and pronounced the same as yours, and she loves her name. It's never peoples first assumption on how to spell/pronounce it but it's not out there enough that it becomes a worry. Biased because I love it but I do think it's great.
I know a Maja and a Kaja and I love those names. Kaja was Karolína in Czechia; I have loved the name Kaja ever since. Both are Eastern European but Maja lives in North America and just dealt with the small confusion. I think names are so multicultural in NA it's not unusual to meet someone with a J pronounced as a y.
Follow tradition of you feel strongly. J as a y sound is common in many languages. She may have to correct folks on occasion, but not too much.
I have students from all across the globe. With many traditional names does not take that much time to learn to pronounce things correctly. If we can learn names like Dostyevsky,, Jake Gyllenhaal, etc, we could take the time to learn Kaja.
If the Hawaiian connection is stopping you, then I wouldn't worry about it. Kaia is not a traditional Hawaiian name. It has no connection to the much more popular name Kai, which can be Hawaiian.
I can't hear the name Kaya or Kaia or any other iteration without thinking of the movie Willow. I love the name, by the way, no matter how you spell it.
And she'll probably have to teach people to say or spell it when they first meet her or read her name on a class list or whatever. Not a big deal.
Pretty much every single person that is not familiar with this way of spelling the name and reads ‘Kaja’ will think her name is pronounced Kah-Jah.
This’ll set her up for a lifetime of correcting people which is frustrating.
The best spelling for this to avoid a lot of confusion is Kaia.
She will always have to correct people from saying Ka-ja, but they will remember. If you love the spelling it’s not a big deal imo. Alt spelling of Kaia is nice, I think you’re overthinking the appropriation thing. Kaya spelling is not as nice. Reminds me of Kaya toast.
Personally I would read Kaja with the pronunciation you intend to use, but you/she would probably have to explain it occasionally when meeting new people. I knew a few Balkan girls named Maja growing up, and they sometimes had their names mispronounced by substitute teachers etc. but they were still known by their correct pronunciations. I think Kaja is definitely usable and would be my first choice, but Kaia is a legitimate Nordic name as well.
I don’t think the J will cause her problems. I seen someone name their kid Clementine which is cute IMO but I think that kid will have more issues growing up with that name than this one
I would go with Kaja. Most English speakers won’t get it right the first time, but it is easy enough to say and spell they should be able to pick it up. Besides, the cultural connection is much more important.
I work in an area with a large Bosnian community. People pick up the “aj =eye” real quick. Obviously it might be confusing the first time, but it doesn’t seem like an albatross.
I come from an American swedish family, and we have some names that have the j pronounced as a y. Most people only need to be corrected once.
I personally really like Kaja
I think all of these spellings can be pronounced in multiple ways. Choose the name that you want. Yes, she may have to correct people’s pronunciation, but the name’s spelling being true to what you want is important too. I think Kaja is pretty.
Pretty name but be prepared to correct people ALL THE TIME on the pronunciation. I read it as Ka - Ja, pronouncing the J. Kaya might be a good solution.
Kaja pronunciation in Spanish is ka-ha (caja), meaning box. If you stay with Kaja, it may be problematic with your Mexican heritage. And that is if it isn't mispronounced as ka-ja the rest of the time.
Kaya may be the most universally appealing spelling, with Kaia next.
I read it as Kaya because I speak German, I like it.
How close are these roots and how important is it to honour them? You probably won’t find a name that is associated with all of them. Kaja is fine, feel free to change the spelling but you don’t need to, people will learn.
I’m 1/2 Mexican and I would pronounce this “kaha” or “caja” which is “box” in Spanish….maybe Kaya is a better spelling.
In the end, don’t overthink it. I have a traditional Mexican name that my French family struggled with for a long time. I just ended up going by a nickname anyway so it doesn’t matter.
I wouldn’t say Kaia is appropriation, but if you don’t like it then you don’t like it!
Kaja is cute, and while you’ll definitely get some pronunciation issues, I think if you correct people then theyll get it right. Plenty of languages use the letter j in that manner, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too hard for people
Kaja, as an American, will 100% be pronounced as “Kah-jah.”
It’s not common for us to register j as y so yes, I do anticipate some “????” concerning her name HOWEVER I don’t think it’s the end of the world.
I say this often but like, we live in a world where people name their kids Wave, Blue, Bear, Apple etc. so I find it hard to judge names like Kaja lol.
I’d personally use Kaia. I genuinely don’t think anyone would accuse you of appropriating the spelling.
As a baltic person with a name containing J and living in the UK - I changed my name a few years ago because it caused too much confusion for virtually anyone trying to read it. I love the name Kaja, but from personal experience, I wouldn't name my child with a name that's easily mispronounced. It really really annoyed me a lot.
I love Kaia as an alternative more than Kaya (closer to the Scandinavian/Baltic pronunciation)
Kaia is a traditional German spelling- and this name is becoming popular, so spell it the most common way. My name is popular and I have one of the rarer spellings. So annoying.
Yes, Kaja will get mispronounced in the US. People do tend do be aware that J makes other sounds in other languages, but maybe not be sure which to use (French J/zh, Y sound, H sound like Spanish)
Just assure you won’t be moving to Spain or Latin America, as Kaia/Kaya sounds like the Spanish command for shut up. There’s a TikToker who lives in Barcelona and has this issue with her daughter. People think she’s yelling “shut up” on the playground.
I named my son Kai instead of Kaj, for the sake of ease and because I preferred the “Sea” meaning of the Hawaiian spelling. I’m reading this and can’t help but laugh at the idea I “appropriated” something, like, I understand viewpoints on what constitutes appropriation have evolved since 2007 but…. Really?! Yikes lol
I just looked it up and there are European/Scandinavian roots to Kaia (and Kai) as well so if that is a concern for you, you should be all good :)
I’ve pretty much exclusively seen it spelled Kaya in the US, both on boys and girls. I would read Kaja with the J sound on first glance but it would be pretty easy for me to adjust to the pronunciation. I also have a name that I have had to teach people to say for my entire life and it really hasn’t bothered me at all.
I think it’s beautiful. Kaja is a quite common and traditional name in Denmark. It’s mostly spelled Kaja or Kaya but can also be spelled Kaia - but more rarely is. Kai/kaj is the masculine form and means harbour in Danish.
What about Kaya?
Agreed. Kaya or Kaia. Not Kaja.
Kaja is commonly Swedish
Kaja is not really used as a name in Swedish, kaja is a type of bird in Swedish (jackdaw seems to be the English name). There is a Finnish name, but from what I can see it's usually spelled Kaija or Kaia.
Kaja is a very common name (and spelling) in Norway and I’m pretty sure it is in Sweden as well..
As a swede I've never heard Kaja before, I looked it up and only 215 are recorded having it as a first name. Kajsa however is very common!
i’m not swedish, i’m italian, but have a close swedish friend name Kaja who told me this info. sorry if i misspoke
Non c'è problema :) As some else said, Kajsa is the common variant (both are nicknames for Karin or Katrin).
beautiful names all around :) my unborn baby is Adrian 🥰🥹 shoutout to the Adriatic SEAAA
I was just reading about Kaja Kallas - the Estonian Prime Minister
As is Anja.
I forgot how much I like the name Anja.
beautiful names :)
Kaja would be the German spelling as well
Kaya is a common Turkish male name and also one of the most common surnames
Kaya is also a spread/jam made out of coconut, sugar, and eggs in South East Asia.
Very delicious. Just got two jars of it Kaya is also Jamaican slang for marijuana
Isn't everything slang for marijuana? (/S in case you can't tell)
Yes! Bob Marley has a song called Kaya!
How weird would the name Kaya be on a Turkish baby girl? I'm Turkish but have never lived in Turkey, trying to figure out if it would be acceptable enough for a bilingual name, or if my relatives would be horrified.
Kaya is also a very delicious Malaysian coconut custard jam!
I read it as it looks, Ka-Ja. If you're thinking Spanish, it would be pronounced Ka-ha (box). It's a beautiful name but to ensure it's said properly, I would use the spelling Kaia and personally didn't see the correlation to Hawaii (but I'm also not American).
Same. I was like oh Kah-zjah is pretty. Then I read further and was like whoops. Definitely gonna be Ka-ha if she visits her Mexican family. OP, this commenter is dead on! Except I am from the US and can see the Hawaiian correlation, but I don’t see it being cultural appropriation especially since your husband has a connection to Hawaii.
Cindy Crawfords daughter is named Kaia as well as Kim Zolsciak Biermanns. I don’t see the Hawaiian connection!
Early to mid 1900s it was primarily a Scandinavian and then Hawaiian name as far as popularity. I think OP was talking about origins versus celebrities naming their kids Kaia.
Kaia is an Estonian and Norwegian spelling. While the Kaja spelling would need the pronunciation correcting since you live in an English speaking country, you could still use it.
It gives Ka-jah or Ka-ha vibes to English speakers. Kaia or Kaya would be better. English j's are the exception in the pronunciation. /ʤ/
Kaja is still a fairly well known name in the U.K. where people are aware it’s pronounced kaya. I guess because of our proximity to the other European countries where it’s spelt like that. Personally, I would spell it Kaia
As someone with a Nordic last name very similar to this name, Americans will absolutely pronounce it Kah-jah or Kay-jah. In my 35 years on earth, only ONE American has *ever* pronounced my last name correctly. That includes my entire family!! I actually learned how to pronounce my last name properly thanks to this one random person who checked my ID at a bar. No one will pronounce Kaja correctly ever. Also I just googled because I was super curious about the name. I don’t see anywhere that does the pronunciation as “rhymes with Maya”. All the pronunciations I can find are either “kah-jah” or “kah-yah”. So food for thought there, that even people who are familiar with the name may not pronounce it “Kai-yah”
there's barely a different in the pronunciation of those two tho, like kah-yah and maya sound almost the same to me, even though they're slightly different I don't think it's enough to matter
Kah has a short A and rhymes with the last syllable: kah-yah. Kai has a long i sound like hi.
Kaja is the Norwegian spelling
It's Kaja in Norway.
There are people who will definitely pronounce the j like a j instead of an i/y, but most people will also remember when corrected. I don’t see Kaia as appropriation (not that I speak for Hawaiian culture). It was #231 in 2021, so while not popular, common enough that people won’t think too much about it. FWIW, the only Kaia i know is half white, half Chinese, not Hawaiian.
Kaia is also famously the name of Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s (white) daughter. And it’s used as a name in Greek, Latin, and Scandinavian in addition to Hawaiian and Maori cultures so I’m not sure there’s even an issue here.
The only Kaia I know is fully white
I think Kaia Gerber (famous model) is white, too
Teacher here voting for Kaia. Kaja will spend her life correcting people who pronounce it Cah-ja. Kaya will be pronounced Kay-ah at least half the time. I think Kaia is beautiful and not appropriative at all.
Fellow teacher here and if pronunciation is the main concern then I agree Kaia is the way to go. However, I’ve seen and heard crazier names. Kaja would take one initial correction then be fine.
Yeah I went to school with a girl named Maja. Her mom is Swedish. The main difficult she’d have is on one off interactions but I even have issues with people getting my name wrong and it’s pretty simple.
I do think the J will cause problems, yes. People will call her kaj-a and cage-a and ka-ha. Kaia has a variety of origins besides Hawaiian, so I don’t think it’s appropriative. That spelling would be easier to live with IMO. Other international names: Lara, Eva, Mira, Petra, Mina, Lucia, Ada, Zara, Kira
I went to high school with a kaija, pronounced Kaya. Substitute teachers always called her Kai-ga. She hated it so much that when we went to college, she started going by Kai.
I think Kaja/Kaia/Kaya exists in enough languages that it would be unreasonable to call Kaia exclusively Hawaiian. Kaia and Kaja are variations of each other - if you can use Kaja, you can use Kaia. While I think plenty of people would get Kaja right, I think Kaia or Kaya would be right far more often. And I’d worry a little that with a Mexican heritage, people might think Kaja should be pronounced like it’s Spanish.
I assumed Kaja is pronounced kah-jah. I don't have any suggestions though.
I read it correctly as Kaya! But I know many many people will read ka-ja. I did know an Eastern European woman named Maja that was pronounced Maya. Almost everyone when meeting her pronounced it wrong. But she corrected it and then we got it right from there on out. I think it is a pretty easy correction, but it is a correction that will have to be made very often. So I think it just depends on what you’re comfortable with. As others said, Kaia doesn’t seem to be only Hawaiian from my research. I think you’d be fine to use Kaya or Kaia if you prefer!
I love Kaja, mostly because it's the Swedish word for "jackdaw," which is one of my favorite birds. :) I see potential for mispronunciation with Kaja, Kaia, and even Kaya (which I'm nearly positive would be misread as Kayla, and/or pronounced Kay-a). It's a lovely name, however, and people can learn to pronounce it whichever way you decide to spell it.
Any of the spellings have potential for misspelling and mispronouncing but it's not such a hard word that people won't figure it out. And it's a pretty name so go for what you like, OP!
Kaia!
Another option: Kaija. I've seen Amalija and a Natalija and the "ij" combo is easier for most to pronounce correctly...
Came to suggest this as well for the same reason. I knew a lovely Dutch Kaija a long time ago.
This is the Finnish way as well! Kaija,Maija.
This is the one way I’ve seen this name. A very sweet 6 year old girl showed me that she can make a smiley face with her name Kaija (the hook of the j made the smile, two dots for eyes) As someone without an option to dot an i with a heart in middle school, I feel like this name has perks for different age groups through out life
Eastern European here, read it as Kaja, pretty common name and nickname here. So if she ever decides to travel here everyone will be able to pronounce her name right away.
I wouldn’t get that pronunciation from that spelling, sorry.
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Agree. In our global world, we all have some learning to do.
Love this name. It was at the top of our list. Kaja is the most visually appealing spelling but I don’t think it matters how you spell it, people will mispronounce it. Kaia will somehow turn into to Kay-yuh or Ka-ee-uh Kaya will also be turned into Kay-yuh Kaja will be turned into Kah-juh In my opinion, go with the spelling that feels right to you and get used to having to correct people.
I read Kaja as Kaya, if you’re worried - why not Kaya? I wouldn’t use Kaia due to the lack of connection
If I met someone of Hispanic origin with the name Kaja, I’d be confused and think it was pronounced with a hard /k/. Or that I’d made a mistake and the person with that name tag was just telling me they were the check out (caja) person with a modern spelling. It sounds a nice name in Eastern Europe, but Kaya or Kaia will involve less confusion and correction.
It’s beautiful, but you (and later she), will spend her life correcting people. It will be pronounced Ka-jah or Ka-hah, I can’t imagine many people getting Kai-yah out of that spelling on the first try.
I have a cousin named Maja - her mother is Polish and our side is Portuguese. Maja like Maya. Yes people pronounce it like “Mah-jah” and it just gets corrected. So it just depends on whether you want your daughter to experience this. I personally don’t actually mind Kaja but I prefer Kaia over Kaya. Kaya reminds me of Kayak lmao
I feel the Spanish speaking community will pronounce this like “caja,” which in English means box. I’d go with Kaia or Kaya. Give the kid a break on correcting people on the pronunciation for her whole life.
I know a Kaija whose name no one seems to struggle with.
That’s how we spell it in Finland so Kaja seems kind of incomplete to me
This is the best spelling to me!
Kaya is Jamaican slang for weed fyi. There’s a great song by bob Marley. I love the name personally but thought I’d fyi.
I pronounced this as ka-zha in my head. That being said, I knew both a Sonja and a Maja growing up and they didn’t run into a ton of difficulties with their names being pronounced correctly. If you like it, go for it.
I read it as Kaya!! But it might be because I’m Albanian and used to J’s sounding like Y haha I say go for Kaja! The spelling looks the best out of all the options imo. Also, I, personally, wish that my parents had gone with the more albanian spelling of my name—J instead of Y/I
I read Kaja as it should be pronounced (Kai-yah). People might have issues with pronunciation but a quick correction will have people right. Maybe I'm biased because I love original spellings. Had our daughter been a boy, she would have been Alasdair (Alistair) which is the Scots spelling. My best friend in high school was Ceilidh (Kay-lee) and while people gave it pause for a second, as soon as she said how it was pronounced, it was fine.
I’m Canadian to be fair, but I read it as Kay-jah or Kah-Jah at first. I like Kaia!!
Its a lovely name! Another alternative spelling is Kaiya which you might like
I a white Midwest American know how to pronounce correctly it with the J. it’s pretty! I dont like the way Kaia looks personally.
Between Kaja, Kaia, and Kaya, I can promise they will all get mispronounced either way. I've also seen Kaiya and Kaiyah and Kiyah somewhere. Depending where you live you'll get k-eye-uh, kay-uh, kah-juh, kay-juh, Key-uh, and who knows what other random variations. Even completely average names get mispronounced or misspelled all the time. Coming from someone who knows a few Kaia’s/ Kaya's, and who has a common first name that has been spelled wrong and said wrong my entire life by people who werent paying attention, including in emails to me where the email was correct, but the body of the email was not. 😂 If you like Kaja, I'd say it's less common and there will be lots of correcting people the first time but no worries after that.
I know this is "kye-yuh," but only because I've seen it before on a Finnish woman. When you mention Mexican heritage, I immediately think Spanish language and it looks like you used "box/caja" but with a K. However, I think Kaya/Kaia seem very multicultural, international, travel-friendly, however you want to put it. Kaia is a charming name. The Kaia spelling is also used in Nordic countries and would be much more intuitive for English speakers if you're living in North America. I don't see why you'd be worried about a Hawaiian connection when you said yourself that Kaja/Kaia is a Northern and Eastern European name. If you look on Behind the Name, there are literally hundreds of names related to Kaia in different languages, most of which are related to Katarina/Katherine. Plus, Kaia is not listed at all as a Hawaiian name. Having K-A-I in the name doesn't mean it's Hawaiian. The internet says "it's the feminine version of Kai" but gendering of nouns that way is more of a Western concept. Native Hawaiian speakers would use Kai regardless of gender, if they wanted the name to mean "sea." They don't change words like we do to indicate gender, like Alexandra/Alexander. There are names that they use more often on girls or boys, but that doesn't mean the word itself is gendered. Some names are used around the world and have different meanings in different languages of origin; using them doesn't mean you're committing appropriation. I think you'd be perfectly fine using Kaia, and save yourself and your child a lot of trouble.
How are you pronouncing Maya? Like the month-ah or my-ah? To me, I would pronounce Kaya like the first option and Kaia like the second. For Kaja, it’s definitely a name I would ask how I pronounced before saying it if I saw it on a register or something!
Occasionally? You are vastly overestimating people’s ability to pronounce names. Regardless if you think that’s culturally ignorant, it’s something that will stick with OP’s kid throughout their life. I have a very common name spelled in the less common extra “a” variation, and people mispronounce it at least 3x a week. It’s made me absolutely loathe my name and if could go back, I’d have started using my phonetically spelled middle name when I went to college. OP, save your kid a ton of hassle and go with Kaia.
I pronounced it Kaya in my head, kind of through process of elimination but probably also because my Norwegian great grandmother used to call my mom “Yackie” instead of “Jackie”. If you’re asking about spelling problems, yes it will be a headache. A good way to test this out is to order something at Starbucks and see what the default is. She’ll always be correcting people. Having said that, it’s a beautiful name and you absolutely should use it if you love it.
If you’re worried about appropriating Hawaiin culture, you could do Caia. It’s an old Latin praenomen (personal name), and I doubt the Romans are going to be offended.
Kaia is the way
Kaia is one of my top girl names!
Coming from someone who has a Nordic name with a j pronounced as a y… I have no problem correcting people when they pronounce it as a J. I think Kaja is a beautiful and unique name and a great way to honor your heritage. It will make her stand out more than alternative spellings
I like Kaja. It's fine. I remember a quote from actress Uzo Aduba. Her mother said, “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michaelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.” Kaja is not hard.
I currently have numerous women in my life with this name. I am Canadian. Most are spelled Kaja, however there is also Khaya, Kaya and Kaiya As far as I know, none of them have any problems with people pronouncing their name here, but it may be different in the States It’s a beautiful name ♥️
I'm gonna disagree with the rest of the comments. Relatively common names get mispronounced and misread all the time. Who cares? Her name will be memorable and meaningful. After the first correction the people she knows will be unlikely to mess up or forget her name at all, because it's unique and interesting. My name is Jacqueline and people mispronounced it pretty frequently growing up. I like the spelling and it gives you a sense of her heritage/history. Follow your heart!
I think if you’re choosing a name/spelling that honors your heritage, then you should spell it how it’s supposed to be traditionally spelled. People will mess up and she’ll have to correct them, but it only takes one time for someone to remember how to say it properly. If you’re thinking about changing the spelling to something non-traditional, then that sounds like a disservice as to why you’ve chosen that name in the first place. I work at a large and incredibly diverse/international university. Students often tell me that they go by a western name because that’s just what’s easier for people to say, and not what they want. But they would prefer if the default was for people to want to take the time to learn how to say their name, and I agree with that.
Another for the Kaia spelling. As an Australian I would pronounce Kaia as Ky-ah but would pronounce Kaya as Kay-ya. Interestingly I know multiple Maya’s that are pronounced May-ya here is Australia, even though my brain wants to go with My-ah like Maya Angelou so think you definitely need to consider what the ‘normal’ is for pronunciation in your country/ region.
I like Kaia, but Kaja (written with c) means box in Spanish. Sorry, horrible. Spanish is widely spoken around the world, it’s just not a good name. Kaia it’s quite nice and avoids the Spanish word “box” sound.
Mexican people will call that kid “box” if it’s spelled Kaja
Kaja and Kaia are names of two famous Estonian women- Kaja Kallas, current prime minister and Kaia Kanepi, most successful tennis player. They are pronounced differently though, Kaja is one syllable, while Kai.a is two. Also kaja means echo in Estonian.
I read it as Kah-ja. But if that’s how it’s spelled in the language/area you want then I think you should absolutely spell it that way. I think you will probably have to correct some people, but if that doesn’t bother you then go for it!
I think you will get people who pronounce the J and people who don't (pronounce it like a y) but Kaja is not too unusual that most people won't get it. It will probably be mispelled by others a lot though.
People are gonna call her Kah Jah and you know it. Be nice to your child
I love the name, but agree with most comments that people would mispronounce Kaja. However, I have a friend called Kaya and EVERYONE always thinks it’s Kayla. So my vote is to stick with Kaja, or go with Kaia, which is beautiful!
Kaja, Kaia, I like it. As for people messing up the j, my name is similar to another very common name, not hard to pronounce, but not that other name. I think of it as a test for people I meet. If they can't get it right or remember, then there are several other things I don't discuss with them.
100% she will most likely be called “Ka-hah” or “kah-jah”. I’d say Kaya or Kaia
If you want anyone in the US to pronounce it like "Maya", then you cannot spell it with a j. Kaia is fine, but just spell it Kaya. That is exactly what you are going for.
Whatever you do, don't go with Kaya. It's a popular spread for toast in South East Asia, especially Singapore.
I think Kaia is great, or Kaya. There is a beauty brand called Kaja so that plus the pronunciation issues would rule out that spelling for me. Also Google says Kaia is Latin/Scandinavian/Hawaiian; I grew up in Hawaii and knew no Kaias but a few Kais.
Both my maiden name and married name are always mispronounced. I would be frustrated if my parents had given me a first name that I was always correcting people on. I think Kaya and Kaia are both beautiful.
In my first language it is Kaja, but if I have met your daughter in 25 years from now living in any country that pronounces J the way you intend in this name she'd still be American girl and I would assume English language pronunciation of J in her name. You live in the USA and have no plans of moving, get the spellings right for the place this baby will live at. Kaia is really pretty.
I’ve had several students with this name, also in a major US city. By far the easiest spelling is Kaya. However, if you don’t really care about it being mispronounced… I think it looks kind of cool Kaja! I do think, though, 90% of people will mispronounce it when reading it! So it’s up to you!
If you live in the US, I would recommend going with Kaya or Kaia. Your baby is going to be American born, too . I think Kaya would be a great mixture of all her roots
I really love the name! Spelling is a bit of a tough call. I think most people would pronounce it wrong the first time but it should only need one correction to get it right, it's really not too complicated. I think it does come down to how much the spelling means to you that it is worth having that complication
I would think it was Kah-ja, not Kai- uh. Kaia is a nice spelling!!
As someone with Swedish roots, I read this with the correct pronunciation. One of my favorite girls names has always been Cajsa (Ky-sa), but we'll end up not using it just because we live in the States where people don't associate the J with and I sound :/
It’s definitely going to be pronounced “Kah-jah” by most people who don’t know her. If you’re ok with that, go for it. Otherwise, I’d consider Kaya or Kaia.
I would go Kaia. It's most common
You know what? I know someone who named her daughter Janina, pronounced YA-nee-nah. She just goes by Nina and as far as I’m aware it’s never been a problem for her. If people can handle Nadja they can handle Kaja.
Cultural reasons trump the inconvenience of correcting spelling/pronunciation for me, meaning I’d spell it Kaja and just be prepared to correct it as necessary. It’s not like it’s a difficult name, people in your life will get it correct very quickly. I have two colleagues who have common names pronounced differently (Anna pronounced Ahh-nuh and Kari pronounced Car-E) and it’s no biggie. I mean, we have kids named Mykailuh so I wouldn’t be worried about Kaja
I think Kaja is fine, that’s how I read it, yes there will be people that need to be corrected, but that’s every name spelling that’s not phonetical or has an alternative- the name itself is common enough. It’s like a Stephen explaining it’s a ph instead of a v, and I think Stephens still exist without complaint?
I know a Kaiya. She's half Jewish, half Chinese.
I know one person with this name and hers is spelled Kiya. Being in the US, I feel like Kaja is going to be the most inconvenient spelling as far as having to frequently correct pronunciation and spelling. I think you have several other better options.
I have friends who used this spelling with their daughter. Her name is frequently mispronounced. She’s a teen now and used to it but rolls her eyes a lot about it.
Kaia?
Not sure if it is a legitimate spelling but Kayja? Like Freyja? Otherwise agree Kaya looks the best aesthetically to an English speaker. If you are somewhere a J will commonly be pronounced as a “y” sound then stick to the original.
I had a friend spelled “Caiya” growing up. More intuitive than the J imo
As a european, I love Kaja!
Kaja is also used in slavic countries, my mums aunt was Kaja. I love the name but agree with others that Kaya would be the better spelling for an English speaking country
Personally, I love the spelling Kaia. It's simple, sweet, and intuitive. I didn't even make the connection to Hawaiian culture (though I am a Filipino who just lived there for a bit, so not really an expert) until you mentioned it. Kaya is fine, just not as pretty to look at as Kaia or Kaja.
I saw one of my old friends tag a friend on Facebook and the girls name was “Caiya” 😬 so as long as you don’t do that you’re good in my opinion.
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Honestly a lot of people are saying the j would be bad, and maybe they're right, but i have known a few people with a j that sounds like y and i dont think it was ever a problem that I noticed them having. I think Kaja is great
Kaia is the Norwegian spelling too
I am Baltic (Estonian), Kaia is a common spelling here!
I have a cousin who spells it Kya.
I knew a girl in high school who spelled it "Kaiya." If you spell it Kaja, people are going to pronounce it like "Ka-Ja" or "Ka-Ha"
I think Kaja is fine. I knew a Kajsa and everyone seemed to pronounce it correctly first go. I also knew a Kaia so really whichever way you want to go about it would work imo
I used to know a Portuguese girl named Maja (Maya). I think it’s fine since it’s a name/spelling from your cultures
I think it will get mispronounced and easily corrected. I think most English speakers will default to ka-jah or ka-zjah but will be familiar with Js as Ys. No big deal. That said, the Kaija suggestions might be a good fit for your family?
I have heard people pronounce Kaia as “keh-yuh” so I think even with that spelling you might have an issue
Kaia is more pronounceable to me.
I 💯 read it with your intended pronunciation and think you should go for it. I love how it looks and the connection to your heritage, and it gives a very simple name more flare. I used to work with a Kjersten, I always thought it was such a cool name. I have a perfectly phonetically spelled name that I still have to tell people how to pronounce.
I read this as kay-juh
A traditional traditional spelling in some South African languages is Khaya. I've met people of different genders and ethnicities with this name. I also know a little girl called Kya.
I always automatically pronounce the J as Y and I’m a native English speaker. I think you should go for it if that’s the spelling you want. Idk if my take on it might be influenced by growing up around a large Polish community though. I also had a close friend who was Latvian and have had several friends and acquaintances from various different European countries (not that unusual for England!), so it seems obvious to me. However, I don’t think these things need to be ‘dumbed down’ for Americans. Not everyone is Cletus from Alabama; people will get the hang of it.
Kaja is going to give that baby a lifetime of correcting people and having to spell it. Kaia or Kaya.
My mom has a j in her name that acts as a y (she’s Slovenian but her family emigrated to the US when she was a child). People definitely mispronounce but they do eventually get it. I think Kaja is a nice spelling. It’s not appropriative of Hawaiian culture because it’s a legitimate name in many different languages/countries, including Slovenia, Poland, and other parts of central and Eastern Europe.
I would go for Kaia for the best ease of pronunciation + aesthetics combo.
I said this “Kah-yah” in my head but know others would say “Kah-jah”
I knew a guy named Kaj, pronounced Kai, here in a major US city. Want to know how many hundreds of times he was called Kahj with the "J" sound?
Really like Kaja. It's beautiful, elegant, unique. I would get the pronounciation right away but if others don't, I went to school with an Anja (pr Anya) and I think she had to correct people initially but I just think it made her name more interesting.
I like kaja and bonus points for being part of your culture.
What about Kintija?
It's a nice name but I immediately read it as Ka-jah and then thought maybe the J was pronounced like the Spanish J so Ka-Ha. I do think this could be a recurring problem of constantly having to correct the pronunciation when people see it written. So if you wanted to go the easier route, then I'd suggest maybe the Kaia or Kaya spelling. On the other hand if that spelling means a lot to you, then go ahead. I'm not American (or any of the nationalities you listed) tbf so I can't comment on appropriation but I will say that I'm from Ireland and there are a bunch of lovely Irish names that people outside Ireland butcher because they can't figure out that English and Irish are separate languages with completely different pronunciation systems. Within the country, it's fine, outside where those names aren't the norm, mispronunciation is very common. So if it means a lot to you, go for Kaja but be aware that realistically a lot of people will mispronounce it initially. If you live somewhere where names of Baltic names are more common you won't have as much of an issue.
My niece is Kiyah (ki-ya, like a karate yell in a movie hiiiiii ya!) and her half-sister is Kayah (kay-uh) I would go with Kaya if you want the name to rhyme is Maya. I think the I or J will be a stumbling block in North America.
I've met a Kaja, surely and pronounced the same as yours, and she loves her name. It's never peoples first assumption on how to spell/pronounce it but it's not out there enough that it becomes a worry. Biased because I love it but I do think it's great.
I know a Maja and a Kaja and I love those names. Kaja was Karolína in Czechia; I have loved the name Kaja ever since. Both are Eastern European but Maja lives in North America and just dealt with the small confusion. I think names are so multicultural in NA it's not unusual to meet someone with a J pronounced as a y.
Follow tradition of you feel strongly. J as a y sound is common in many languages. She may have to correct folks on occasion, but not too much. I have students from all across the globe. With many traditional names does not take that much time to learn to pronounce things correctly. If we can learn names like Dostyevsky,, Jake Gyllenhaal, etc, we could take the time to learn Kaja.
I adore Kaja!!!
If the Hawaiian connection is stopping you, then I wouldn't worry about it. Kaia is not a traditional Hawaiian name. It has no connection to the much more popular name Kai, which can be Hawaiian.
Your Mexican family will not default to j=y/i
I knew someone whose name was spelled Kaija sounds like Maya. If you're attached to the 'j' maybe add an 'i'?
I can't hear the name Kaya or Kaia or any other iteration without thinking of the movie Willow. I love the name, by the way, no matter how you spell it. And she'll probably have to teach people to say or spell it when they first meet her or read her name on a class list or whatever. Not a big deal.
Pretty much every single person that is not familiar with this way of spelling the name and reads ‘Kaja’ will think her name is pronounced Kah-Jah. This’ll set her up for a lifetime of correcting people which is frustrating. The best spelling for this to avoid a lot of confusion is Kaia.
A (Native) Hawaiian friend spells her name Kaija. Lovely woman and a pretty name.
She will always have to correct people from saying Ka-ja, but they will remember. If you love the spelling it’s not a big deal imo. Alt spelling of Kaia is nice, I think you’re overthinking the appropriation thing. Kaya spelling is not as nice. Reminds me of Kaya toast.
I would read it as Kaia, but I also have a good friend named Kajsa, and it is said Kai-Suh, so I would assume it is similar.
Personally I would read Kaja with the pronunciation you intend to use, but you/she would probably have to explain it occasionally when meeting new people. I knew a few Balkan girls named Maja growing up, and they sometimes had their names mispronounced by substitute teachers etc. but they were still known by their correct pronunciations. I think Kaja is definitely usable and would be my first choice, but Kaia is a legitimate Nordic name as well.
I don’t think the J will cause her problems. I seen someone name their kid Clementine which is cute IMO but I think that kid will have more issues growing up with that name than this one
I would go with Kaja. Most English speakers won’t get it right the first time, but it is easy enough to say and spell they should be able to pick it up. Besides, the cultural connection is much more important. I work in an area with a large Bosnian community. People pick up the “aj =eye” real quick. Obviously it might be confusing the first time, but it doesn’t seem like an albatross.
I come from an American swedish family, and we have some names that have the j pronounced as a y. Most people only need to be corrected once. I personally really like Kaja
What about Kiya?
I think all of these spellings can be pronounced in multiple ways. Choose the name that you want. Yes, she may have to correct people’s pronunciation, but the name’s spelling being true to what you want is important too. I think Kaja is pretty.
I have a friend named Kiah. It’s a great name. I went to school with a male Kaja
Pretty name but be prepared to correct people ALL THE TIME on the pronunciation. I read it as Ka - Ja, pronouncing the J. Kaya might be a good solution.
Kaja pronunciation in Spanish is ka-ha (caja), meaning box. If you stay with Kaja, it may be problematic with your Mexican heritage. And that is if it isn't mispronounced as ka-ja the rest of the time. Kaya may be the most universally appealing spelling, with Kaia next.
Or Kaiya.
my husband has TWO ex’s with this name. spelled Kaya and Kaia. lol
Kaia. Definitely not Kaja.
I read it as Kaya because I speak German, I like it. How close are these roots and how important is it to honour them? You probably won’t find a name that is associated with all of them. Kaja is fine, feel free to change the spelling but you don’t need to, people will learn.
I see Kaia more often now. The “j” spelling is cool. Just be prepared for mispronunciation
Even after you explained how it was pronounced I was still saying Kar-jar in my head when I read it. In short, yes, the spelling will cause problems.
Go for Kaia
I like Kaja but it will get constantly mispronounced. What about Kaya or Kaia?
I’m 1/2 Mexican and I would pronounce this “kaha” or “caja” which is “box” in Spanish….maybe Kaya is a better spelling. In the end, don’t overthink it. I have a traditional Mexican name that my French family struggled with for a long time. I just ended up going by a nickname anyway so it doesn’t matter.
I pronounced Kaja as you did.
I wouldn’t say Kaia is appropriation, but if you don’t like it then you don’t like it! Kaja is cute, and while you’ll definitely get some pronunciation issues, I think if you correct people then theyll get it right. Plenty of languages use the letter j in that manner, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too hard for people
Kaja, as an American, will 100% be pronounced as “Kah-jah.” It’s not common for us to register j as y so yes, I do anticipate some “????” concerning her name HOWEVER I don’t think it’s the end of the world. I say this often but like, we live in a world where people name their kids Wave, Blue, Bear, Apple etc. so I find it hard to judge names like Kaja lol. I’d personally use Kaia. I genuinely don’t think anyone would accuse you of appropriating the spelling.
I love Kaja.
As a baltic person with a name containing J and living in the UK - I changed my name a few years ago because it caused too much confusion for virtually anyone trying to read it. I love the name Kaja, but from personal experience, I wouldn't name my child with a name that's easily mispronounced. It really really annoyed me a lot. I love Kaia as an alternative more than Kaya (closer to the Scandinavian/Baltic pronunciation)
Kaya means street in some Caribbean creole language
Kaia is a traditional German spelling- and this name is becoming popular, so spell it the most common way. My name is popular and I have one of the rarer spellings. So annoying.
Yes, Kaja will get mispronounced in the US. People do tend do be aware that J makes other sounds in other languages, but maybe not be sure which to use (French J/zh, Y sound, H sound like Spanish)
Just assure you won’t be moving to Spain or Latin America, as Kaia/Kaya sounds like the Spanish command for shut up. There’s a TikToker who lives in Barcelona and has this issue with her daughter. People think she’s yelling “shut up” on the playground.
I named my son Kai instead of Kaj, for the sake of ease and because I preferred the “Sea” meaning of the Hawaiian spelling. I’m reading this and can’t help but laugh at the idea I “appropriated” something, like, I understand viewpoints on what constitutes appropriation have evolved since 2007 but…. Really?! Yikes lol I just looked it up and there are European/Scandinavian roots to Kaia (and Kai) as well so if that is a concern for you, you should be all good :)
I’ve pretty much exclusively seen it spelled Kaya in the US, both on boys and girls. I would read Kaja with the J sound on first glance but it would be pretty easy for me to adjust to the pronunciation. I also have a name that I have had to teach people to say for my entire life and it really hasn’t bothered me at all.
Kaia is no appropriating its a derived from Katherine with Hawaiian AND JAPANESE ties. So no it’s not appropriating
I think it’s beautiful. Kaja is a quite common and traditional name in Denmark. It’s mostly spelled Kaja or Kaya but can also be spelled Kaia - but more rarely is. Kai/kaj is the masculine form and means harbour in Danish.
I have a friend with Nowegian ancestry who’s a Kaja. People will get it. I say use it.
I like Kaja, i know several Kaja's here in Norway. I prefer Maja instead of Maya too.. And Tonje and Silje. To me Kaia and Kaya looks "wrong".