Cairen
A feminine name of English origin meaning "little cherished one".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Cairen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cairen today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cairen births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cairen. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cairen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,335
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Cairen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cairen from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cairen 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 Cairen 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 Cairen
The given name Cairen is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic language, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Gaelic word "càirdean," which means "friends" or "kinsmen." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were highly valued and respected within their communities or clans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cairen can be found in the Annals of the Kingdom of Scotland, a historical chronicle dating back to the 13th century. The text mentions a nobleman named Cairen MacLeod, who played a significant role in the Battle of Largs in 1263, a conflict between the Scottish and Norwegian forces.
In the realm of literature, the name Cairen appears in the renowned Scottish epic poem "The Brus" by John Barbour, written in the late 14th century. The poem recounts the life and struggles of Robert the Bruce, the famous Scottish king, and features a character named Cairen Douglas, a brave warrior who fought alongside the king.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Cairen was Cairen MacKenzie (c. 1570 - 1635), a Scottish clan chief and landowner from the Highlands. He was known for his involvement in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of conflicts that took place in the 17th century across the British Isles.
Another significant individual was Cairen Campbell (1665 - 1741), a Scottish philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and wrote extensively on topics such as natural theology and moral philosophy.
In the realm of arts and culture, Cairen Fraser (1810 - 1879) was a Scottish painter renowned for her landscapes and portraiture. Her works were widely exhibited and celebrated during the Victorian era, and she was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve such recognition.
It is worth noting that while the name Cairen has a rich historical background, its usage has been relatively uncommon in more recent times. However, it remains a part of the cultural heritage and linguistic tapestry of Scotland, serving as a reminder of the country's rich and storied past.
People
Cairen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cairen 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
Cairen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cairen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cairen 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 Cairen a common name?
We classify Cairen 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 Cairen most popular?
The single biggest year for Cairen was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cairen is about 7 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 Cairen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cairen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cairen 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 Cairen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cairen 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 Cairen 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 many people have Cairen as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.