Kevin
Kevin was the 221st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,628 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 11th with 30,613 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 142 places. More babies were named Kevin in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning dear birth; gentle and noble · Irish
Say it KEV-in /ˈkɛvɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #221 boys, down 64 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,628boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196330,613 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,189,844babies recorded
What does the name Kevin mean?
Kevin is the English form of the Irish Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgein, the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. Wikipedia and Wiktionary analyse it as cóem, 'dear, gentle, noble', and gein, 'birth', giving roughly 'of gentle birth'. Wiktionary notes that it first became popular outside Ireland in the mid-20th century. Kevan is a related Irish form, from a diminutive, and Caoimhe is the related Irish girl's name. Kev is a common short form.
cóem (Old Irish, “dear, gentle, noble”)gein (Old Irish, “birth”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Kevan, Caoimhín, Kev.
See also: Irish names, names that mean noble.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kevin', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Kevin', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Kevin
The usual nicknames for Kevin are Kev.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kev | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Kevins go by each one.
Kevin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5,337 since 1938.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #221 | 1,628 |
| 2020 | #157 | 2,385 |
| 2010 | #59 | 7,330 |
| 2000 | #32 | 12,674 |
| 1990 | #23 | 20,413 |
| 1980 | #23 | 17,972 |
| 1970 | #14 | 26,968 |
| 1960 | #15 | 28,400 |
| 1950 | #73 | 4,752 |
| 1940 | #332 | 298 |
| 1930 | #683 | 84 |
| 1920 | #1,572 | 24 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kevin, counting every spelling?
Kevin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #234 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #221 for Kevin on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,634 boys in 2025.
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 Kevin?
1,628 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kevin (0.45 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kevin 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kevin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kevin?
About 1,032,200 people born in the US named Kevin are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 33 and 60. That makes Kevin mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Kevin by state
How common Kevin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (3.3×), Maryland (1.9×), District of Columbia (1.8×), Massachusetts (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, North Dakota, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kevin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kevin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kevin · Sibling names for Kevin
Questions about the name Kevin
What does Kevin mean?
Kevin means “dear birth; gentle and noble” (Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kevin?
Kevin was the 221st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,628 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 11th with 30,613 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 142 places. More babies were named Kevin in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Kevin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kevin in the US.
Where is Kevin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kevin was most common in Delaware (3.69 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maryland and District of Columbia.