Cagney
Cagney is an Irish patronymic surname of Gaelic origin. In Gaelic, the name is Ó Caingne, and means "grandson of advocate", from caingean "legal dispute."
Meaning & Origin of Cagney
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cagney is an Irish patronymic surname of Gaelic origin. In Gaelic, the name is Ó Caingne, and means "grandson of advocate", from caingean "legal dispute."
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cagney
As a girl name
Cagney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1982, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1986, when 37 Cagneys were born — ranking #2,620 that year. As of 2026, Cagney ranks #17,292 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 186 Cagneys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Cagney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1982, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 31 Cagneys were born — ranking #1,796 that year. As of 2026, Cagney ranks #12,285 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 105 Cagneys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Cagney
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- James Cagney (1899–1986), Academy Award-winning actor
- Jeanne Cagney (1919–1984), his sister and actress
- William Cagney (1905–1988), his brother and an American film producer and actor
- Mark Cagney (born 1956), Irish breakfast television broadcaster
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Cagney
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cagney is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cagney
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About the name Cagney
Cagney is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 186 births in the dataset. Cagney's peak popularity came in 1986 when it ranked #2,620. Use the chart and map above to compare Cagney's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1986 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.