Cain
From the Hebrew Qayin, which Genesis explains by wordplay with qanah, to acquire or beget. It belongs to the first son of Adam and Eve.
Cain in 2025
Cain was given to 185 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,327th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 17,921 babies born.
The history of Cain
Cain reached its highest point in 2014, when 330 babies were given the name, ranking 1,558th that year.
Across the 116 years of records since 1910, 7,628 babies have been named Cain. Half of them were born before 2011, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Cain by decade
| Decade | Babies named Cain | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 31 | 2,582 |
| 1920s | 51 | 5,409 |
| 1930s | 35 | 5,257 |
| 1940s | 15 | 6,141 |
| 1950s | 38 | 6,216 |
| 1960s | 73 | 5,999 |
| 1970s | 257 | 3,178 |
| 1980s | 380 | 3,245 |
| 1990s | 1,046 | 2,065 |
| 2000s | 1,481 | 2,200 |
| 2010s | 2,814 | 1,558 |
| 2020s | 1,407 | 1,868 |
Where Cain is heading
Cain has fallen 43% over the past decade, from 326 babies in 2015 to 185 in 2025.
Names like Cain
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Cain.