Kain
Kain was the 1738th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 94 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 1093rd with 180 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 347 places. More babies were named Kain in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kane) Origin uncertain · Irish, Hawaiian
- Rank in 2025
- #1,738 boys, down 191 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 94boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2016180 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,750babies recorded
What does the name Kain mean?
Kain 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)
Kain popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,738 | 94 |
| 2020 | #1,547 | 107 |
| 2010 | #1,368 | 124 |
| 2000 | #1,255 | 105 |
| 1990 | #4,547 | 12 |
| 1980 | #6,751 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kain, counting every spelling?
Kain is a spelling of Kane, a name family that ranked #283 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,738 for Kain 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 Kain?
94 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kain (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kain 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 89 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kain.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kain?
About 3,700 people born in the US named Kain are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 9 and 24. That makes Kain 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.
Kain by state
How common Kain was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 36 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 Kain: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kain, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kain
What does Kain mean?
The origin of Kane is uncertain: several unrelated sources; which applies depends on the family.
How popular is the name Kain?
Kain was the 1738th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 94 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 1093rd with 180 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 347 places. More babies were named Kain in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Kain a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kain in the US.
Where is Kain most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kain was most common in Louisiana (0.16 per 1,000 boys), followed by Michigan and Texas.