Cainan: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,526

among boys · ↓246 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Cainan · -11% vs 2024

How common

1 in 53,377

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2016

47 babies

All-time total

1,024

#5,058 all-time among boys

First recorded

1981

in Social Security records

Cainan popularity over time

1,024 babies have been named Cainan since 1981, 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

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	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	52	5	–	#3,651
1990s	141	14	+171%	#3,042
2000s	309	31	+119%	#2,703
2010s	338	34	+9%	#2,632
2020s (to 2025)	184	31	-9%	#3,221

Where Cainan 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	32	0.02	outside top 500
2027	32	0.02	outside top 500
2028	32	0.02	outside top 500
2029	32	0.02	outside top 500
2030	32	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Cainan

Cainan is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,526 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1981, 1,024 American babies have been named Cainan. Its peak came in 2016, when 47 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 Cainan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cainan?

The median living Cainan is about 15 years old; half are between 7 and 23. An estimated 1,000 people named Cainan are alive in the United States today.

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

Cainan year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	32	#3,526
2024	36	#3,280
2023	28	#3,904
2022	37	#3,221
2021	24	#4,262
2020	27	#3,833
2019	44	#2,815
2018	34	#3,309
2017	41	#2,903
2016	47	#2,632
2015	38	#3,033
2014	23	#4,280
2013	21	#4,494
2012	32	#3,382
2011	24	#4,125
2010	34	#3,252
2009	38	#3,057
2008	28	#3,752
2007	40	#2,927
2006	40	#2,842
2005	22	#4,072
2004	39	#2,703
2003	34	#2,855
2002	23	#3,684
2001	21	#3,861
2000	24	#3,436
1995	12	#4,832
1990	11	#4,704
1985	6	#5,890
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Cainan?

The median living Cainan is about 15 years old. Half of all living Cainans are between 7 and 23 years old.

How many people named Cainan are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Cainan are alive in the United States, based on 1,024 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cainan in 2025?

Cainan ranked #3,526 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cainan?

1,024 babies have been named Cainan in the United States since 1981, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cainan most popular?

Cainan peaked in 2016, when 47 newborns received the name.

Is Cainan a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Cainan rising or falling?

Cainan is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cainan become more popular?

Cainan looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 32 boys named Cainan in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Cainan

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

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