Caedmon
Cædmon is the earliest English poet whose name is known. A Northumbrian cowherd who cared for the animals at the double monastery of Streonæshalch during the abbacy of Hilda, he was originally ignorant of "the art of song" but learned to compose one night in the course of a dream, according to the 8th-century Christian historian and saint Bede.
- History
Meaning & Origin of Caedmon
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cædmon is the earliest English poet whose name is known. A Northumbrian cowherd who cared for the animals at the double monastery of Streonæshalch during the abbacy of Hilda, he was originally ignorant of "the art of song" but learned to compose one night in the course of a dream, according to the 8th-century Christian historian and saint Bede.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- History
The Story of Caedmon
The earliest SSA record of Caedmon as a baby boy name dates back to 1999, when 11 babies received it. 2010 was its biggest year on record, with 79 newborns named Caedmon — #1,834 in the national rankings. About 48% of every Caedmon on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Caedmon ranks #7,498 for baby boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-40%). All told, over 943 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Caedmon
Phonetically similar names — useful when Caedmon is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Kidman
- Cadman
- Kitman
- Cottman
- Goodman
- Headman
- Godman
- Getman
- Goodmen
- Headmen
- Hedman
- Cudden
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Caedmon
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About the name Caedmon
Caedmon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 943 births in the dataset. Caedmon's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #1,834. Use the chart and map above to compare Caedmon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
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- Names starting with "C" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.