Cain is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Cain means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Cain across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Cain has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Cain is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “acquired, spear”. The biblical firstborn son of Adam and Eve.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 7,628 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,096 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 164 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 178 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 158 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Cain per year, United States (1910 to 2025). United States peaked in 2014 (330/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2001 (191/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2004 (14/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2017 (12/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2003 (11/yr).
Cain is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2014, when it ranked #1,561 nationally (given to 412 babies that year).
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