Declining since 2022, #2,480 for boys today.
Popularity of Caine since 1968
Babies named Caine per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2008, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Caine's real moment was 2023.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 145 |
| 1980s | 103 |
| 1990s | 344 |
| 2000s | 505 |
| 2010s | 583 |
| 2020s | 419 |
Meaning & origin
Caine is a rare masculine given name that first appeared on U.S. records in 1968. It reached its peak popularity in 2023 at rank 2,480, but has since seen a slight decline, with a falling trajectory since 2022. In the most recent year, approximately 1 in 31,631 boys received the name. Geographically, Caine is most common in Florida, Texas, and California. Its sound aligns with modern trends favoring short, strong, one-syllable names.
Caine is most commonly considered a variant of Cain, the biblical first son of Adam and Eve. The Hebrew root qanah means 'to acquire'. In modern contexts, Caine emerged as a given name in the late 20th century, influenced by the surname Caine (itself a variant of Kane or Cain) and popularized by actors like Michael Caine. Its usage remains infrequent but steady.
Where Caine is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Caine
Names that share Caine's style, for a brother or sister.
