The baby name Kraai is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /kraːi/ (approx. 'kry', rhymes with 'cry').
The baby name Kraai is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /kraːi/ (approx. 'kry', rhymes with 'cry').
Kraai is Afrikaans, Dutch in Origin.
Kraai is a Dutch and Afrikaans word-name meaning “crow,” from an ancient onomatopoetic Germanic root imitating the bird’s caw (cf. German Krähe, Norwegian kråke, Old Norse kráka). As a given name it is rare and unisex; in Dutch it is pronounced KRAH-eye/KRAA-ee. Beyond the literal bird, it carries symbolic associations of intelligence, adaptability, and transformation found in folklore and heraldry across Europe.
In the Low Countries and later South Africa, Kraai and its spellings Kraaij and Kraay are well attested as surnames from the 16th–17th centuries, applied to people with dark hair, a sharp voice, or a house sign bearing a crow. Its adoption as a first name is a contemporary, nature-forward choice paralleling English Raven or Corbin/Corvin (from Latin corvus). Related diminutives include Kraaitje and Flemish Kraaike; comparable word-names appear as Krähe in German contexts.
Kraai is rarely chosen. In all, it turns up just 33 times, across 3 countries.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | 0 | #473 | 2 | 14,421 | |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,014 | 1 | 25,931 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,128 | 14 | 25,928 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,164 | 15 | 25,619 |
Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!