Cayne
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly Celtic or Old English.
Name Census estimates that about 441 living Americans carry the first name Cayne. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cayne today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cayne births was 2008 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cayne. 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
441
~ 1 in 777,221 Americans
Peak year
2008
26 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,078
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Cayne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cayne 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 177 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Cayne remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cayne 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 Cayne 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 Cayne
The name Cayne is believed to have originated from the Old English word "cyne," which means "bold" or "brave." This name was particularly popular among the Anglo-Saxon tribes that inhabited parts of present-day England during the early medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cayne can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Caine" in this historical document, referring to a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire.
In the 12th century, a French monk named Cayne de Lille gained recognition for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy. He is credited with contributing to the intellectual and religious discourse of his time, and his writings remain influential in certain academic circles to this day.
During the Renaissance period, Cayne Merrick, an English playwright and poet, rose to prominence in the literary circles of Elizabethan England. Born in 1568, Merrick's works often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, earning him a place among the notable writers of his era.
In the 19th century, Cayne Pritchard, a Welsh entrepreneur and industrialist, made significant contributions to the development of the coal mining industry in South Wales. His innovative mining techniques and business acumen helped shape the economic landscape of the region during the Industrial Revolution.
Another notable figure bearing the name Cayne was Sir Cayne Edgerton, a British diplomat and statesman who served as the Ambassador to France in the early 20th century. Born in 1872, Edgerton played a crucial role in fostering diplomatic relations between the two nations during a period of political tension and upheaval.
While the name Cayne may have originated from Old English roots, its use has transcended geographical boundaries and cultural contexts over the centuries. The individuals mentioned above represent just a few examples of the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name throughout history.
People
Cayne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cayne 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
Cayne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cayne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 441 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cayne 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 777,221 US residents.
Is Cayne a common name?
We classify Cayne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 445 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cayne most popular?
The single biggest year for Cayne was 2008, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cayne is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cayne a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cayne 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.
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.