Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2014

Cain

Meaning craftsman Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,142 Trend ↓ Falling 13%

From Hebrew קַיִן (Káyin, “craftsman”), present since Old English.

Rank 2025
#1,142
among boys · ↓162 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
185
named Cain · -20% vs 2024
How common
1 in 9,233
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2014
330 babies
All-time total
7,628
#1,412 all-time among boys
First recorded
1910
in Social Security records

Cain popularity over time

7,628 babies have been named Cain since 1910, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2014Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 31 3 – #1,128
1920s 51 5 +65% #2,797
1930s 35 4 -31% #2,637
1940s 15 2 -57% #2,810
1950s 38 4 +153% #2,767
1960s 73 7 +92% #2,485
1970s 257 26 +252% #1,313
1980s 380 38 +48% #1,311
1990s 1,046 105 +175% #902
2000s 1,481 148 +42% #988
2010s 2,814 281 +90% #727
2020s (to 2025) 1,407 235 -17% #893

Where Cain is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 180 0.11 outside top 500
2027 176 0.10 outside top 500
2028 173 0.10 outside top 500
2029 171 0.10 outside top 500
2030 168 0.10 outside top 500

Where Cain is most popular

Boys named Cain per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.133 per 1,000. Strongest in Louisiana, Montana, and Michigan.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Cain born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Louisiana 36 0.352 +164%
Montana 5 0.284 +112%
Michigan 51 0.249 +87%
Arizona 38 0.232 +74%
California 172 0.188 +41%
Ohio 47 0.177 +33%
Tennessee 30 0.166 +24%
Texas 144 0.163 +22%
Pennsylvania 43 0.162 +21%
Iowa 11 0.160 +20%
New Mexico 5 0.152 +14%
Georgia 36 0.142 +6%
Kentucky 14 0.140 +5%
Indiana 22 0.137 ≈ national
Washington 18 0.110 -18%
Wisconsin 13 0.110 -18%
North Carolina 28 0.110 -18%
South Carolina 11 0.106 -20%
Illinois 27 0.106 -21%
Florida 41 0.087 -35%
Colorado 11 0.085 -36%
Arkansas 5 0.079 -41%
Oregon 5 0.066 -51%
New York 26 0.060 -55%
Alabama 6 0.055 -59%
Maryland 6 0.050 -62%
Missouri 6 0.043 -68%
Virginia 6 0.032 -76%
New Jersey 6 0.030 -78%
Alaska – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Cain

Cain is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,142 in 2025 with 185 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1910, 7,628 American babies have been named Cain. Its peak came in 2014, when 330 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cain stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cain?

The median living Cain is about 13 years old; half are between 7 and 25. An estimated 7,400 people named Cain are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cain year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 185 #1,142
2024 230 #980
2023 250 #922
2022 253 #914
2021 235 #956
2020 254 #893
2019 285 #806
2018 251 #871
2017 262 #845
2016 324 #751
2015 326 #743
2014 330 #727
2013 285 #792
2012 290 #783
2011 254 #845
2010 207 #958
2009 200 #988
2008 189 #1,014
2007 141 #1,248
2006 135 #1,239
2005 139 #1,151
2004 126 #1,207
2003 127 #1,176
2002 150 #1,022
2001 137 #1,055
2000 137 #1,048
1995 113 #1,053
1990 41 #1,875
1985 35 #1,731
1980 33 #1,737
1975 27 #1,795
1970 17 #2,223
1965 5 #3,985
1960 7 #3,375
1955 6 #3,551
1950 7 #3,064
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 6 #3,799
1920 10 #2,799
1915 6 #3,457
1910 9 #1,128
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Cain

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Cain Velasquez Cain Velasquez American mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler (born 1982) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cain, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cain?

The median living Cain is about 13 years old. Half of all living Cains are between 7 and 25 years old.

How many people named Cain are alive today?

An estimated 7,400 people named Cain are alive in the United States, based on 7,628 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cain mean?

From Hebrew קַיִן (Káyin, “craftsman”), present since Old English.

How popular is the name Cain in 2025?

Cain ranked #1,142 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 185 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cain?

7,628 babies have been named Cain in the United States since 1910, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cain most popular?

Cain peaked in 2014, when 330 newborns received the name.

Is Cain a boy or girl name?

Cain is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cain rising or falling?

Cain is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cain become more popular?

Cain is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 168 boys named Cain in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Cain?

Well-known people named Cain include Cain Velasquez (wrestler).

Names like Cain

Names that sound and feel close to Cain: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cain with similar names → More names starting with C →