Nameling

Cain

Gender
Boy
Say it
KAYN
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#916 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,141 for boys

Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland

Cain is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “acquired”. In 2025 it ranked 916th for boys in the UK (37 babies) and 1,141st for boys in the US (185 babies).

What does Cain mean?

Hebrew

“acquired”

In Genesis, Cain, the eldest son of Adam and Eve, kills his brother Abel.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Cain a girl's or a boy's name?

Cain is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 37 boys in the UK and 185 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Cain in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#916among boys
Babies in 2025
37about 1 in 8,100 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 23% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 37 boys in the UK were named Cain, making it the 916th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 914th. Its busiest year was 2001, with 208 boys.

Half of all the boys named Cain in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

In 2025, 114 boys in the UK were given Cain or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #411, up from #916 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 1,153rd in England and Wales, 441st in Scotland and 314th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 208 in 20012025
Cain in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202537#916
202425#1,198
202340#874
202225#1,181
202129#1,085
202035#914
201938#875
201859#666
201754#717
201662#640
201566#609
201476#555
201385#504
201285#498
201182#496
201097#438
200982#489
200888#463
2007107#375
2006120#321
2005130#286
2004134#280
2003115#296
2002126#261
2001208#185
2000127#256
1999103#303
199878#348
199769#379
199687#316

How popular is Cain in the US?

Rank in 2025
#1,141among boys
Babies in 2025
185about 1 in 9,200 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 16% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 185 boys in the US were named Cain, making it the 1,141st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 892nd. Its busiest year was 2014, with 330 boys. It first appears in the records in 1910.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Cain than any year since 2007.

Half of all the boys named Cain in the US since 1880 were born between 1999 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 1,258 boys in the US were given Cain or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #286, up from #1,141 for this spelling alone.

1910Busiest: 330 in 20142025
Cain in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025185#1,141
2024230#980
2023250#921
2022253#913
2021235#956
2020254#892
2019285#806
2018251#870
2017262#843
2016324#750
2015326#742
2014330#727
2013285#792
2012290#782
2011254#845
2010207#958
2009200#988
2008189#1,014
2007141#1,246
2006135#1,239
2005139#1,149
2004126#1,204
2003127#1,172
2002150#1,021
2001137#1,052
2000137#1,046
1999136#1,017
1998128#1,047
1997141#949
1996133#960
1995113#1,050
1994146#899
199399#1,128
199264#1,424
199145#1,762
199041#1,865
198939#1,886
198841#1,701
198730#2,016
198643#1,534
198535#1,723
198431#1,795
198332#1,747
198246#1,394
198150#1,309
198033#1,726
197927#1,943
197819#2,375
197726#1,904
197630#1,710
197527#1,786
197442#1,311
197335#1,435
197217#2,243
197117#2,278
197017#2,212
19699#3,061
196811#2,575
19676#3,557
196611#2,464
19655#3,928
19640–
19639#2,857
19629#2,846
19616#3,650
19607#3,335
19590–
19580–
19570–
19566#3,533
19556#3,503
19549#2,742
19535#3,796
19520–
19515#3,712
19507#3,020
19490–
19488#2,787
19470–
19460–
19450–
19440–
19437#2,962
19420–
19410–
19400–
19398#2,609
19387#2,868
19378#2,680
19360–
19350–
19346#3,275
19336#3,267
19320–
19310–
19300–
19299#2,764
19285#4,149
19270–
19269#2,902
19256#3,739
19240–
19230–
19226#3,870
19216#3,867
192010#2,764
19198#3,114
19188#3,095
19170–
19160–
19156#3,391
19140–
19130–
19120–
19110–
19109#1,117

Names like Cain

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Finn Aiden Declan Kian Ronan Conan Kayden Brody Dylan Keegan Caelan Connor

Other spellings of Cain

Kane Kaine Caine Kain Kayne Cane Kayn Cayne

Names related to Cain

Cian Can Cainan Cainen

More Hebrew names

Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Cain: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/cain, updated 20 October 2026.