Cain
Cain was the 1142nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 185 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 727th with 330 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 399 places. More babies were named Cain in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kane) Origin uncertain · Irish, Hawaiian
- Rank in 2025
- #1,142 boys, down 249 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 185boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2014330 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,628babies recorded
What does the name Cain mean?
Cain is a spelling of Kane, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kane's meaning and origin.
Kane has several sources. Wiktionary gives the Irish Ó Catháin, "descendant of Cathán", a name based on cath, "battle"; Woulfe's 1923 index lists Kane among the English forms of this surname, alongside O'Kane, and also under Mac Aodháin, "son of Aodhán". Kane can also be an English, German or Jewish surname. Separately, Hawaiian kāne means "man, husband" and is the name of a major god, as Andrews' dictionary notes.
Ó Catháin (Irish, “descendant of Cathán”)cath (Irish, “battle”)kāne (Hawaiian, “man, husband; a god”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several unrelated sources; which applies depends on the family.
Related names: Kaine, Cain, O'Kane, Keane.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kane', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Patrick Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames (1923), index of Irish surnames and their anglicized forms, M. H. Gill & Son (Internet Archive scan)
- Lorrin Andrews, A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language, rev. H. H. Parker (1922), s.v. 'Kane', Board of Commissioners of Public Archives, Honolulu (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Cain popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,142 | 185 |
| 2020 | #893 | 254 |
| 2010 | #958 | 207 |
| 2000 | #1,048 | 137 |
| 1990 | #1,875 | 41 |
| 1980 | #1,737 | 33 |
| 1970 | #2,223 | 17 |
| 1960 | #3,375 | 7 |
| 1950 | #3,064 | 7 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #2,799 | 10 |
| 1910 | #1,128 | 9 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cain, counting every spelling?
Cain is a spelling of Kane, a name family that ranked #283 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,142 for Cain on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,273 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kane | 695 | #451 | 4,134 |
| Cain | 185 | #1,142 | 1,153 |
| Kaine | 126 | #1,432 | 759 |
| Kain | 94 | #1,738 | 551 |
| Caine | 54 | #2,487 | 344 |
| Kayne | 49 | #2,666 | 294 |
| Kaan | 35 | #3,344 | 149 |
| Cane | 22 | #4,565 | 93 |
| Cayne | 13 | #6,522 | 89 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cain?
185 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cain (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cain born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 45 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cain.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cain?
About 7,300 people born in the US named Cain are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 25. That makes Cain mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cain by state
How common Cain was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.6×), Michigan (1.9×), Arizona (1.7×). In 22 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cain: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cain, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cain
What does Cain mean?
The origin of Kane is uncertain: several unrelated sources; which applies depends on the family.
How popular is the name Cain?
Cain was the 1142nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 185 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 727th with 330 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 399 places. More babies were named Cain in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Cain a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cain in the US.
Where is Cain most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cain was most common in Louisiana (0.35 per 1,000 boys), followed by Montana and Michigan.