Kaine
Kaine was the 1432nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 126 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 1014th with 200 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 67 places. More babies were named Kaine in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kane) Origin uncertain · Irish, Hawaiian
- Rank in 2025
- #1,432 boys, down 277 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 126boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2017200 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,621babies recorded
What does the name Kaine mean?
Kaine 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)
Kaine popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,432 | 126 |
| 2020 | #1,155 | 168 |
| 2010 | #1,604 | 98 |
| 2000 | #1,751 | 64 |
| 1990 | #4,839 | 11 |
| 1980 | #3,989 | 10 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kaine, counting every spelling?
Kaine is a spelling of Kane, a name family that ranked #283 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,432 for Kaine 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 Kaine?
126 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kaine (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kaine 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 67 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kaine.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kaine?
About 3,600 people born in the US named Kaine are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 22. That makes Kaine a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Kaine by state
How common Kaine was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (3.5×), Georgia (2.2×). In 31 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 Kaine: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kaine, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kaine
What does Kaine mean?
The origin of Kane is uncertain: several unrelated sources; which applies depends on the family.
How popular is the name Kaine?
Kaine was the 1432nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 126 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 1014th with 200 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 67 places. More babies were named Kaine in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Kaine a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kaine in the US.
Where is Kaine most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kaine was most common in Louisiana (0.30 per 1,000 boys), followed by Georgia and North Carolina.