Casey
Casey is a given name, originally derived from the Irish Gaelic cathasaigh, meaning "vigilant" or "watchful". It can be used as a nickname for the name Cassandra or the initials K.C. It is in use for girls or boys in both the United States, the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Casey
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Casey is a given name, originally derived from the Irish Gaelic cathasaigh, meaning "vigilant" or "watchful". It can be used as a nickname for the name Cassandra or the initials K.C. It is in use for girls or boys in both the United States, the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Casey
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Casey as a girl name dates back to 1921, when 5 babies received it. 1987 was its biggest year on record, with 3,582 newborns named Casey — #81 in the national rankings. About 36% of every Casey on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Casey ranks #1,027 for girls with 245 births, gradually falling (-8%). All told, over 78K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Casey as a boy name dates back to 1888, when 6 babies received it. 1990 was its biggest year on record, with 4,133 newborns named Casey — #89 in the national rankings. About 30% of every Casey on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Casey ranks #269 for boys with 1,270 births, rising sharply (+101% over the past five years). All told, over 118K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Casey
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Casey. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Casey
Phonetically similar names — useful when Casey 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 Casey
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In which U.S. states is Casey most popular?
Is Casey a unisex name?
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About the name Casey
Casey is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1888 and has accumulated 118K births in the dataset. Casey's peak popularity came in 1990 when it ranked #80. Use the chart and map above to compare Casey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1990 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy 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.