This list includes 79 Asian boy names that start with K, from “Kaan” to “Kyung-ho”. They span South, East, Southeast, Central, and West Asian languages and traditions. Use the list for baby naming, writing, or cultural research.
Asian boy names that start with K are male given names used across Asia that begin with the letter K. Many reflect local languages, from Sanskrit roots in South Asia to Sino‑Korean and Turkic traditions in other regions.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Pronunciation, Meaning, Country/Region, and Notes.
Name: The given name as commonly written; you use it to choose, compare, or record the exact spelling for each entry.
Pronunciation: A simple phonetic respelling helps you say each name correctly without requiring specialist knowledge of local scripts or IPA.
Meaning: A concise sense of the name’s literal meaning or core idea gives you cultural context and naming significance.
Country/Region: Shows the language, country, or area where the name is commonly used so you can judge cultural origin.
Notes: Short notes highlight script variants, alternative spellings, or cultural usage that may affect your choice or research.
Asian boy names that start with K
| Name | Country/Region | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kai | East Asia | kye (kaɪ) | sea; victory |
| Kaito | Japan | KAI-toh (ˈkaɪ.toʊ) | sea + soar/fly |
| Kenta | Japan | KEN-tah (ˈkɛn.tɑ) | healthy, strong |
| Kenji | Japan | KEN-jee (ˈkɛn.dʒi) | strong second son |
| Kazu | Japan | KAH-zoo (ˈkɑː.zu) | harmony; one |
| Kazuya | Japan | kah-ZOO-yah (kɑːˈzuː.jɑ) | harmonious one |
| Koji | Japan | KO-jee (ˈkoʊ.dʒi) | little one; second son |
| Koki | Japan | KO-kee (ˈkoʊ.ki) | bright hope; many meanings |
| Keisuke | Japan | KAY-skeh (ˈkeɪ.suː.keɪ) | respect + help |
| Kiyoshi | Japan | kee-YOH-shee (kiˈjoʃi) | pure, clean |
| Kazuki | Japan | kah-ZOO-kee (kɑːˈzuː.ki) | harmonious hope |
| Katsuo | Japan | KAT-soh (ˈkæt.soʊ) | victorious man |
| Kwang | Korea | kwahng (kwɑŋ) | light, brightness |
| Ki | Korea | kee (kiː) | energy, foundation |
| Kyu | Korea | kyoo (kjuː) | precious, outstanding |
| Ki-woo | Korea | kee-woo (kiːˈuː) | rising energy + help |
| Kyung-ho | Korea | kyung-ho (kjʌŋ-hoʊ) | honor + bravery |
| Krishna | India | KRISH-nah (ˈkrɪʃ.nə) | dark; Hindu deity Krishna |
| Karan | India | KAH-ran (ˈkɑː.rən) | skilled; warrior (Karna) |
| Kartik | India | KAR-tik (ˈkɑːr.tɪk) | of Kartikeya; warrior god |
| Kartikeya | India | kar-TIH-kay-uh (kɑːr.tɪˈkeɪ.jə) | war god, son of Shiva |
| Kunal | India | KOO-nahl (ˈkuː.nɑːl) | lotus; of good lineage |
| Kabir | India/Pakistan | KAH-beer (kəˈbɪər) | great; famous Sufi poet |
| Kiran | India | KEE-ran (ˈkiː.rən) | ray of light |
| Kshitij | India | KSHI-tij (kʃɪˈtɪdʒ) | horizon |
| Keshav | India | KAY-shav (ˈkeɪʃɑːv) | name of Krishna |
| Kishore | India | KISH-or (ˈkɪʃɔːr) | young, youth |
| Kalyan | India | KAH-lyahn (kɑːˈljɑːn) | auspicious, welfare |
| Kailash | India | KIE-lash (ˈkaɪ.læʃ) | sacred mountain (Shiva’s abode) |
| Kishan | India | KISH-ən (ˈkɪʃən) | variant of Krishna |
| Kartikeya | India | kaar-TIH-kay-uh (kɑːrˈtɪk.jə) | war god, son of Shiva |
| Khalid | West Asia/South Asia | kha-LID (ˈkɑː.lɪd) | eternal, immortal |
| Karim | West/Central Asia | kah-REEM (kɑːˈriːm) | generous, noble |
| Kamal | West/South Asia | kah-MAAL (kɑːˈmɑːl) | perfection, excellence |
| Khalil | Arab World | kha-LEEL (khaˈliːl) | friend, intimate companion |
| Kadir | Turkey/Central Asia | kah-DEER (kəˈdɪr) | capable, powerful |
| Kamel | Middle East | kah-MEL (kɑːˈmɛl) | perfect, complete |
| Kassim | West/South Asia | KAH-sim (ˈkɑː.sɪm) | distributor; divider |
| Kaveh | Iran | kah-VEH (kɑːˈveɪ) | blacksmith; legendary hero |
| Kian | Iran/Central Asia | KEE-an (ˈkiː.ɑn) | kingly, ancient |
| Keyvan | Iran | KAY-van (ˈkeɪ.væn) | Saturn; celestial |
| Kourosh | Iran | KOO-rosh (ˈkuː.rɒʃ) | Cyrus (the king) |
| Kamran | Iran/Turkey | kahm-RAHN (kæmˈrɑːn) | successful, prosperous |
| Kemal | Turkey | keh-MAL (keˈmal) | perfection |
| Kazim | Turkey/Iraq | KA-zim (ˈkɑː.zɪm) | one who restrains anger |
| Kairat | Kazakhstan | kye-RAHT (kaɪˈræt) | glory, pride |
| Kanat | Kazakhstan | kah-NAHT (kəˈnɑːt) | wing; freedom |
| Kamil | Central Asia | kah-MEEL (kɑːˈmiːl) | perfect, complete |
| Khairul | Malaysia | khy-RUL (khaɪˈrʊl) | most gracious, best |
| Khai | Vietnam | kye (kaɪ) | victory |
| Khoa | Vietnam | kwah (kwɑː) | study; scholar |
| Kiet | Vietnam | kyet (kiət) | resolute, determined |
| Khanh | Vietnam | kahnh (kaɪn) | clear, noble |
| Krit | Thailand | krit (kriːt) | power; decision |
| Kittisak | Thailand | kee-TEE-sak (kiˈtiː.sak) | worthy + power |
| Kadek | Indonesia (Bali) | KAH-dek (ˈkɑː.dɛk) | second-born (birth-order name) |
| Kresna | Indonesia | KREZ-nah (ˈkrɛz.nɑː) | variant of Krishna; dark one |
| Kun | China | koon (kuːn) | earth; elder brother |
| Kuan | Taiwan/China | kwan (kwan) | wide; open |
| Kumar | India/Sri Lanka | KOO-mar (ˈkuː.mɑːr) | prince; son |
| Kusal | Sri Lanka | KOO-sal (ˈkuː.səl) | clever, fortunate |
| Kawal | India/Pakistan | kah-WAHL (kəˈwɑːl) | guard, protector |
| Kos al | Cambodia | koe-SAL (koʊˈsɑːl) | man of virtue |
| Kosal | Cambodia | ko-SAL (koʊˈsɑːl) | virtuous man |
| Kyaw | Myanmar | chyaw (t͡ɕɔ́) | famous |
| Kaushik | India/Bangladesh | KA-ush-ik (ˈkaʊʃɪk) | descendant of sage Vishvamitra |
| Kelsang | Tibet/Nepal | KEL-sahng (ˈkɛl.sæŋ) | good fortune |
| Kfir | Israel | KFEER (kfɪər) | young lion |
| Kalev | Israel/Estonia | KAH-lev (ˈkɑː.lɛv) | dog; whole (Hebrew/ancient) |
| Kumarasamy | India | koo-MAH-rah-sa-mee (kuːˌmɑː.rəˈsɑː.mi) | prince-like lord |
| Khurram | Pakistan | khuh-RAM (kʰʊˈrɑːm) | joyful, delighted |
| Khalaf | Arab World | kha-LAF (khaˈlaf) | successor, born later |
| Kaan | Turkey | kah-AHN (kɑːˈɑːn) | khan, ruler |
| Koray | Turkey | koh-RYE (koˈraj) | ember moon |
| Kerem | Turkey | KEH-rem (ˈkɛrɛm) | generosity |
| Kavi | India | KAH-vee (ˈkɑː.vi) | poet |
| Krunal | India | KROO-nahl (ˈkrunɑːl) | precious jewel |
| Krish | India | KRISH (krɪʃ) | short form of Krishna |
| Kedar | India | KAY-dar (ˈkeɪ.dɑːr) | mountain; name of Shiva |
Descriptions
Kai
Short pan-Asian name used in China, Japan, Vietnam; meanings vary by character, common for ‘sea’ or ‘victory’.
Kaito
Modern Japanese name (海翔/海斗 variants); popular among boys since the 1990s, many kanji options.
Kenta
Common Japanese male name from kanji meaning ‘healthy’ and ‘big’; popular and familiar.
Kenji
Classic Japanese name; many kanji combinations, widely used across generations.
Kazu
Short form of many Kazu- names; denotes harmony or the number one depending on kanji.
Kazuya
Frequent Japanese male name with multiple kanji readings; modern and traditional usage.
Koji
Well-established Japanese name with varied kanji; common across age groups.
Koki
Contemporary Japanese male name; numerous kanji choices give varied meanings.
Keisuke
Popular Japanese given name; classical compounds often used in modern families.
Kiyoshi
Classical Japanese male name meaning ‘pure’; traditional but still recognized.
Kazuki
Very common modern Japanese name; many kanji possibilities and readings.
Katsuo
Traditional Japanese male name often with connotations of victory.
Kwang
Element meaning ‘bright’ used alone or within compound Korean names; classical feel.
Ki
Common morpheme in Korean names; sometimes used alone as a short given name.
Kyu
Single-syllable Korean name or element in two-syllable names; conveys excellence.
Ki-woo
Modern Korean two-syllable given name; popular in recent decades, often written with hopeful hanja.
Kyung-ho
Common Korean male name presented with hyphen; widely used and recognized in Korea.
Krishna
Major Hindu deity’s name; classical Sanskrit name widely used across South Asia.
Karan
Popular Indian male name; also classical epic associations (Mahabharata).
Kartik
Derived from the god Kartikeya; common male name in India and Nepal.
Kartikeya
Classical Hindu deity name; used as a given name in South Asia.
Kunal
Common Indian male name with Sanskrit roots; used across languages.
Kabir
Used widely in South Asia and the Muslim world; literary and spiritual associations.
Kiran
Unisex in India but commonly male; Sanskrit origin, popular across South Asia.
Kshitij
Classical Sanskrit name; starts with ‘Ksh’ transliteration commonly beginning with K.
Keshav
Classical Sanskrit name for Vishnu/Krishna; common in Hindu communities.
Kishore
Traditional Indian male name, especially in Bengali, Marathi and Hindi-speaking regions.
Kalyan
Sanskrit-derived name used across India; conveys well-being.
Kailash
Religious significance in Hinduism; used as a male given name.
Kishan
Regional North Indian form of Krishna; commonly used as masculine name.
Kartikeya
Traditional deity name; variant of Kartik, used in South Asia.
Khalid
Arabic male name widely used across the Middle East and South Asia; classical Islamic usage.
Karim
Common Arabic name used throughout Muslim-majority Asia; often an honorific attribute of God.
Kamal
Arabic and Sanskrit roots; common male name across South and West Asia.
Khalil
Classical Arabic name, common across Arabic-speaking and Muslim communities in Asia.
Kadir
Variant of Qadir; used in Turkey, Central Asia, and Muslim communities.
Kamel
Arabic male name used in Arab countries and North Africa; also appears in Persian contexts.
Kassim
Variant transliteration of Qasim; common across Muslim Asia.
Kaveh
Classic Persian name from mythology; associated with a national hero of Iran.
Kian
Popular Persian name used across Iran and Turkic-speaking Central Asia.
Keyvan
Persian name with astronomical/mythic associations; used in Iran.
Kourosh
Persian form of Cyrus; historical and classical name in Iran.
Kamran
Persian-origin name used broadly in Iran, Turkey, and Central Asia.
Kemal
Well-known Turkish name (e.g., Mustafa Kemal); common and classical.
Kazim
Arabic origin, used widely across Muslim Asia.
Kairat
Kazakh male given name with Turkic roots; popular in Kazakhstan.
Kanat
Common Kazakh male name; evokes flight and liberty.
Kamil
Arabic-origin name widely used in Turkic and Central Asian Muslim communities.
Khairul
Arabic-derived Malay male name often used as a prefix in compound names.
Khai
Vietnamese male name (Khải); commonly used and carries a victorious connotation.
Khoa
Popular Vietnamese male name meaning ‘science’ or ‘department’, widely used.
Kiet
Vietnamese male name (Kiệt); conveys determination and excellence.
Khanh
Vietnamese given name used for males and females; common in Vietnam.
Krit
Short Thai male name or name element; widely used as a given name.
Kittisak
Common Thai male name composed of Pali/Sanskrit-derived elements; formal given name.
Kadek
Balinese male name indicating birth order; cultural naming tradition in Bali.
Kresna
Balinese/Indonesian form of Krishna; widely used in Hindu Indonesian communities.
Kun
Chinese male given name (multiple characters); meanings vary by character.
Kuan
Older Taiwan/Taiwanese romanization of Chinese given names (commonly seen in Taiwan and diaspora).
Kumar
Common South Asian male name and name suffix used across India and Sri Lanka.
Kusal
Sinhalese male name; familiar through sports and popular culture in Sri Lanka.
Kawal
Used in Punjabi and North Indian contexts; traditional masculine name.
Kos al
Common Khmer male name with regional popularity in Cambodia.
Kosal
Frequent Khmer male name used throughout Cambodia.
Kyaw
Extremely common Burmese male name element; used alone or in compounds.
Kaushik
Sanskrit-origin name used in India and Bengal; classical and modern usage.
Kelsang
Tibetan Buddhist male name meaning ‘good fortune’, used across Himalayan communities.
Kfir
Modern Hebrew male name used in Israel; biblical-style auditory root.
Kalev
Hebrew name with ancient roots; used in Israel (also an Estonian name with different origin).
Kumarasamy
South Indian Tamil/Sinhalese compound name; traditional male name (often shortened to Kumar).
Khurram
Persian/Urdu name common in Pakistan and among South Asian Muslims.
Khalaf
Arabic male name used in Arab countries and Muslim communities in Asia.
Kaan
Popular modern Turkish male name evoking leadership; widely used in Turkey.
Koray
Contemporary Turkish male name; poetic imagery combining ’ember’ and ‘moon’.
Kerem
Common Turkish male name with literary and popular usage.
Kavi
Sanskrit-derived name meaning ‘poet’ or ‘seer’; used as a given name across South Asia.
Krunal
Gujarati/Maharashtrian male name; modern regional popularity.
Krish
Popular short form and standalone name in India; modern and familiar.
Kedar
Classical Sanskrit name linked to Himalayan traditions and Shiva worship.