Caoimhe
A feminine Irish name meaning beautiful, graceful, or precious.
Name Census estimates that about 327 living Americans carry the first name Caoimhe. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Caoimhe today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caoimhe births was 2007 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caoimhe. 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
327
~ 1 in 1,048,178 Americans
Peak year
2007
19 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,519
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Caoimhe: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caoimhe from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 146 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Caoimhe remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caoimhe 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 Caoimhe during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Caoimhes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Caoimhe
The name Caoimhe is of Irish Gaelic origin and is a feminine given name derived from the Old Irish word "cáem," meaning beautiful or lovely. It is pronounced similarly to "Keeva" or "Kwee-va."
The earliest recorded use of the name Caoimhe dates back to medieval Ireland, where it was often bestowed upon newborn girls as a reflection of the high regard for beauty and grace in Irish culture. The name's popularity grew during the Gaelic Revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by a renewed interest in preserving and promoting Irish language, literature, and heritage.
While the name Caoimhe does not appear prominently in ancient Irish texts or religious scriptures, it has been embraced by many notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest notable individuals named Caoimhe was Caoimhe Ní Chonalláin, a renowned Irish poet and harpist who lived in the 17th century and was celebrated for her lyrical compositions and performances at the courts of Irish chieftains.
In the 19th century, Caoimhe Ní Chuinneagáin was a prominent Irish language activist and educator who played a crucial role in establishing the first Irish language primary school in Dublin. Her efforts contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of the Irish language during a time when it faced suppression and decline.
Another notable figure named Caoimhe was Caoimhe de Barra, a talented Irish actress and singer who gained recognition in the mid-20th century for her performances in various stage productions and films. Her portrayal of Irish characters helped bring Irish culture and traditions to a wider audience.
In more recent times, Caoimhe Herlihy, born in 1964, is an accomplished Irish novelist and short story writer whose works often explore themes of identity, family, and the complexities of modern Irish life. Her debut novel, "One Little Lie," was critically acclaimed and solidified her reputation as a rising literary voice in Ireland.
Caoimhe Bambrick, born in 1976, is an Irish businesswoman and entrepreneur who co-founded the successful technology company Trustev, which specialized in online identity verification and fraud prevention. Her innovative contributions to the tech industry have earned her numerous accolades and recognition as a leader in her field.
People
Caoimhe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caoimhe 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
Caoimhe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caoimhe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 327 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caoimhe 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 1,048,178 US residents.
Is Caoimhe a common name?
We classify Caoimhe as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 331 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caoimhe most popular?
The single biggest year for Caoimhe was 2007, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caoimhe is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caoimhe a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caoimhe 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.