Cavan: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,456

among boys · ↑763 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Cavan · +32% vs 2024

How common

1 in 51,760

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2008

77 babies

All-time total

1,714

#3,638 all-time among boys

First recorded

1969

in Social Security records

Cavan popularity over time

1,714 babies have been named Cavan since 1969, 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	8	1	–	#3,350
1970s	77	8	+863%	#3,088
1980s	155	16	+101%	#2,210
1990s	240	24	+55%	#2,469
2000s	585	59	+144%	#1,773
2010s	472	47	-19%	#1,993
2020s (to 2025)	177	30	-38%	#3,434

Where Cavan 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	33	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	31	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Cavan

Cavan is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,456 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1969, 1,714 American babies have been named Cavan. Its peak came in 2008, when 77 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Cavan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cavan?

The median living Cavan is about 18 years old; half are between 11 and 27. An estimated 1,700 people named Cavan 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.

Cavan year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	33	#3,456
2024	25	#4,219
2023	30	#3,726
2022	28	#3,901
2021	33	#3,434
2020	28	#3,741
2019	41	#2,951
2018	31	#3,547
2017	36	#3,200
2016	44	#2,732
2015	43	#2,774
2014	52	#2,434
2013	69	#1,993
2012	51	#2,457
2011	52	#2,409
2010	53	#2,379
2009	69	#2,013
2008	77	#1,877
2007	64	#2,121
2006	59	#2,185
2005	71	#1,817
2004	45	#2,459
2003	60	#1,940
2002	65	#1,773
2001	41	#2,390
2000	34	#2,682
1995	14	#4,311
1990	21	#2,971
1985	13	#3,438
1980	9	#4,187
1975	8	#4,001
1970	7	#3,901
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Cavan?

The median living Cavan is about 18 years old. Half of all living Cavans are between 11 and 27 years old.

How many people named Cavan are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Cavan are alive in the United States, based on 1,714 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cavan mean?

Cavan is a name used as a given name or surname.

How popular is the name Cavan in 2025?

Cavan ranked #3,456 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cavan?

1,714 babies have been named Cavan in the United States since 1969, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cavan most popular?

Cavan peaked in 2008, when 77 newborns received the name.

Is Cavan a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Cavan rising or falling?

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

Will Cavan become more popular?

Cavan looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 31 boys named Cavan in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Cavan

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

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