Cagan
A masculine Turkish name meaning "fierce warrior" or "brave fighter".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Cagan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cagan today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cagan births was 2002 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cagan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Cagan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cagan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2002
6 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2009 SSA rank
#12,762
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Cagan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cagan 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 Cagan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cagan
The name Cagan has its origins in the Turkish language and culture, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old Turkic word "qaghan," which means "khan" or "ruler." This word has its roots in the ancient Mongolian language and was used to refer to the sovereign rulers of various Turkic empires and khanates.
In the early centuries of the Turkish people, the name Cagan was often associated with nobility and leadership. It was a name bestowed upon the sons of khans and other high-ranking officials, signifying their potential to one day assume positions of power and authority.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cagan can be found in the 8th century AD, when a Turkic ruler named Cagan Khan led the Khazar Khaganate, a powerful empire that stretched across parts of modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. This historical figure played a pivotal role in shaping the political and cultural landscape of the region during that time.
Another notable bearer of the name Cagan was Cagan Soysal, a renowned Turkish architect and urban planner who lived from 1939 to 2021. He was instrumental in the development of modern Istanbul and is widely regarded as one of the most influential architects in Turkey's history.
In the realm of literature, the name Cagan can be found in the epic poetry of the Turkic peoples. One such example is the "Book of Dede Korkut," a collection of medieval Oghuz Turkic stories that feature a character named Cagan Bey, a heroic warrior and leader.
Cagan has also been the name of several notable figures in the world of sports. Cagan Irmak, born in 1983, is a Turkish professional basketball player who has represented his country in international competitions. Cagan Atik, born in 1985, is another Turkish basketball player who has played for various teams in the Turkish Basketball Super League.
Throughout history, the name Cagan has carried a sense of strength, leadership, and cultural pride among the Turkic peoples. While its usage may have evolved over time, it remains a name deeply rooted in the rich heritage and traditions of the Turkish and neighboring cultures.
People
Cagan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cagan 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
Cagan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cagan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cagan 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Cagan a common name?
We classify Cagan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cagan most popular?
The single biggest year for Cagan was 2002, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cagan is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cagan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cagan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cagan in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Cagan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cagan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cagan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Cagan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.