Cacey
Variant spelling of Casey, a masculine Irish name meaning "brave" or "watchful".
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the first name Cacey. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 90.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Cacey today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cacey births was 1985 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cacey. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
221
~ 1 in 1,550,925 Americans
Peak year
1985
17 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2019 SSA rank
#10,993
Tracked since 1974
Gender
Gender distribution for Cacey
Cacey leans heavily female at 90.0% of total registrations, but 23 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Cacey as a male name
- Ranked #10,993 in 2019
- 6 male births in 2019
- Peak: 1985 (7 births)
Cacey as a female name
- Ranked #16,131 in 2018
- 5 female births in 2018
- Peak: 1995 (13 births)
Popularity
Cacey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cacey from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 88 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cacey by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cacey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cacey
The name Cacey has its origins in the Irish and Gaelic languages, where it was derived from the word "cáedach," meaning "gracious" or "gentle." This name gained popularity in the medieval period, particularly in Ireland and parts of Scotland, where it was often associated with individuals known for their kindness and compassion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cacey can be traced back to a 9th-century Irish monk known as Cáedach of Lismore. He was renowned for his scholarly pursuits and his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and texts.
In the 12th century, the name Cacey appeared in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle that documented important events and individuals in medieval Ireland. This historical record mentioned a chieftain named Cáedach Ua Conchobair, who played a significant role in the political landscape of the time.
As the name Cacey spread throughout the British Isles, it gained recognition and was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Cacey O'Daly, an Irish poet and historian who lived in the 16th century. His works provided valuable insights into the cultural and literary traditions of his era.
In the 17th century, Cacey O'Donnell, an Irish military leader, gained prominence for his involvement in the Irish Confederate Wars. His bravery and strategic acumen earned him a place in the annals of Irish history.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Cacey was Cacey O'Shaughnessy, an Irish-American writer and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1867, he gained recognition for his literary works and his contributions to the Irish-American cultural scene.
Throughout its history, the name Cacey has continued to be embraced by individuals from various backgrounds, each leaving their mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of their respective eras.
People
Cacey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cacey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cacey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cacey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 221 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cacey going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,550,925 US residents.
Is Cacey a common name?
We classify Cacey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 230 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cacey most popular?
The single biggest year for Cacey was 1985, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cacey is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cacey a female name?
Yes, 90.0% of people registered as Cacey in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.