ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1981 First Year 2026 Last Year 2016 Peak Year #2626 Peak Rank 1K Total Count 44 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Cainan What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 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. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cainan) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cainan) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Biblical * Biblical Latin [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Cainan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Bartolomeo_Gai_Caynam_filius_Arphaxad.png/330px-Bartolomeo_Gai_Caynam_filius_Arphaxad.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cainan) 📖 ## 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. The name hit its high-water mark in 2016: 47 births, good for #2,626 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 32% of all recorded Cainans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,225 among baby boy names 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 ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL 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. * [Canaan](/canaan) * [Canan](/canan) * [Kanan](/kanan) * [Kanon](/kanon) * [Kainan](/kainan) * [Canin](/canin) * [Cannon](/cannon) * Canine * [Canon](/canon) * [Conan](/conan) * [Keenan](/keenan) * [Cayman](/cayman) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Cainan What does the name Cainan mean? 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. What is the origin of the name Cainan? Cainan has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Biblical, Biblical Latin. 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. ## Similar Names [👦KavanPeak #2626](/kavan)[👦SalahPeak #2626](/salah)[👦MynorPeak #2626](/mynor)[👦JakoriPeak #2626](/jakori)[👦KamdonPeak #2626](/kamdon)[👦KaidonPeak #2626](/kaidon)[👦DamiriPeak #2626](/damiri)[👦DemarquisPeak #2627](/demarquis) ## 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 * [ Top names of 2016 → ](/year/2016) * [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s) * [ Names starting with "C" → ](/letter/c) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.