Boy · #3,225 in 2026

Cainan

Name: Popularity of the name Cainan in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Cainan, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Cainan is mentioned in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Book of Genesis, the Book of Jubilees and the genealogy of Jesus given in Luke 3:36 in the New Testament. He is described as a son of Arpachshad and father of Salah, who lived in the time between Noah and Abraham.

Current Rank

#3,225

Peak Rank

#2,626 (2016)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+2%

1981

First Year

2026

Last Year

2016

Peak Year

#2626

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cainan

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Cainan

Cainan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1981, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 47 Cainans were born — ranking #2,626 that year. As of 2026, Cainan ranks #3,225 for baby boys with 37 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 1K Cainans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Cainan

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cainan 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 Cainan

What does the name Cainan mean?

How popular is Cainan in 2026?

In 2026, Cainan ranks #3,225 among boys' names in the U.S., with 37 babies given the name that year.

When was Cainan most popular?

Cainan reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #2,626 that year with 47 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Cainan most popular?

Cainan has historically been most popular in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cainan.

Is Cainan a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Cainan is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Cainan?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cainan include Kavan, Salah, Mynor. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cainan

Cainan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1981 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Cainan's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #2,626. Use the chart and map above to compare Cainan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.