"China, land of the Khitan"
"Cathay, the Middle Kingdom"
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“A rare futuristic name with ancient Silk Road roots”
Kitai (Китай) is the Slavic and Old Russian word for China, derived from the Khitan people who ruled northern China in the Liao dynasty (907-1125 CE). The Khitan name passed through Mongol and Slavic languages to become the standard word for China in Russian and related languages. As a given name, Kitai gained fresh recognition through the 2013 film After Earth, where Jaden Smith plays a character named Kitai Raige.
As a given name, Kitai is extremely rare in traditional use but gained a pop culture boost from the 2013 M. Night Shyamalan film After Earth. Will and Jaden Smiths film introduced Western audiences to the name as a futuristic, powerful-sounding option for boys.
The historical Kitai/Cathay (Marco Polos name for China) represents one of the most enduring East-West cultural connections in history. As a given name, Kitai feels futuristic and exploratory, reflecting a post-national world.
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Fictional protagonist played by Jaden Smith in the 2013 sci-fi film After Earth, a cadet who must survive on a dangerous future Earth