Cainan
Boy name · #3547 in 2025 · Uniqueness 72/100
In 2025, 32 baby boys were named Cainan, placing it at #3547 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #3022, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 56,250 boys born in 2025 was named Cainan.
Babies named Cainan per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 44-year story
Cainan first appears in the Social Security records in 1981, when 9 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 47 boys were named Cainan — good for #2626 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cainan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cainan in class?
Cainan scores 72 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Cainan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cainan is most common
State-level data for Cainan is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Cainan
Statistically, parents drawn to Cainan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kainan, Sinan, Kiernan, Chapman, and Calan.
KainanSinanKiernanChapmanCalanCorbanTiernanCavan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cainan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #3513 |
| 2024 | 36 | #3272 |
| 2023 | 28 | #3883 |
| 2022 | 37 | #3216 |
| 2021 | 24 | #4247 |
| 2020 | 27 | #3811 |
| 2019 | 44 | #2808 |
| 2018 | 34 | #3301 |
| 2017 | 41 | #2891 |
| 2016 | 47 | #2626 |
| 2015 | 38 | #3022 |
| 2014 | 23 | #4263 |
| 2013 | 21 | #4463 |
| 2012 | 32 | #3371 |
| 2011 | 24 | #4110 |
| 2010 | 34 | #3239 |
| 2009 | 38 | #3045 |
| 2008 | 28 | #3744 |
| 2007 | 40 | #2920 |
| 2006 | 40 | #2832 |
| 2005 | 22 | #4062 |
| 2004 | 39 | #2697 |
| 2003 | 34 | #2847 |
| 2002 | 23 | #3670 |
| 2001 | 21 | #3842 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cainan a popular boy name?
Cainan ranked #3547 among boys in 2025 with 32 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3022.
When was the name Cainan most popular?
Cainan peaked in 2016, when 47 American boys received the name (ranked #2626 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cainan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 56,250 newborn American boys was named Cainan. It scores 72/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.