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Cain as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Cain

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The baby name Cain is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /keɪn/ (KAYN).

Cain is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /keɪn/ (KAYN)

What is the meaning of the name Cain ?

The baby name Cain is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /keɪn/ (KAYN).

Cain is Hebrew in Origin.

Cain is a biblical given name from Hebrew Qayin, linked to the verb qanah "to acquire," echoed in Genesis when Eve declares, "I have acquired a man with the help of the Lord." Scholars also connect Qayin to a Semitic root meaning "smith" or "metalworker," and less commonly to "spear," so proposed meanings include acquired/possession and craftsman. The name’s stark resonance comes from its bearer in the Hebrew Bible, Adam and Eve’s firstborn and the slayer of Abel.

Because of that association, Cain saw little use in Jewish and Christian communities for centuries, though it surfaces in English from the 17th century and has recently risen with the vogue for concise, punchy names. Spellings and cognates include Kain, Caine, Kane, and Kayne; Kane and Caine also overlap with Gaelic lines from Ó Catháin and Cathán ("little battle"), giving the name a parallel Irish pathway.

Cain has the following similar or variant Names

Cain – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 836
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
BW Boys 0 #149 6 4,685
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
MT Boys 0 #166 11 4,064
Sweden Boys 2020 #176 2 1,548
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
MO Boys 0 #231 4 5,842
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
Canada Boys 2024 #289 18 2,588
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
CN Boys 0 #308 12 9,639
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
GT 0 #330 9 5,948
HK 0 #356 2 8,483
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
France Boys 2004 #392 5 2,538
PH Boys 0 #401 8 11,440
BO 0 #406 3 6,868
UY Boys 0 #411 3 5,922
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
MX 0 #439 7 8,339
AR Boys 0 #451 17 7,628
GT Boys 0 #452 23 7,625
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
ZA 0 #467 8 14,421
PA Boys 0 #471 11 9,305
RU Boys 0 #496 10 12,621
CR Boys 0 #503 8 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
HK Boys 0 #511 17 12,905
RU Girls 0 #522 2 11,913
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
BO Boys 0 #553 40 9,244
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
SG Girls 0 #629 4 18,916
CL Boys 0 #640 26 13,390
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
United States Boys 2024 #664 230 7,044
SG Boys 0 #688 10 17,960
MX Boys 0 #689 309 16,355
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
PE Boys 0 #796 83 14,506
KW Boys 0 #805 2 18,755
NG Girls 0 #825 2 15,093
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
CO Boys 0 #885 36 15,656
Spain Boys 0 #887 44 5,610
NL Boys 0 #912 40 5,873
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
EG Boys 0 #924 2 15,035
NG Boys 0 #995 7 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,012 3 25,931
ZA Boys 0 #1,037 142 25,619
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,071 2 24,821
MY Boys 0 #1,071 41 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,142 2 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,150 3 16,140
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,231 6 25,928
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,264 4 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,458 14 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,686 6 28,008

Cain is popular in 60 countries — most recent births per country:

Canada
Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
United States
Sweden

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People also ask about Cain

Cain is predominantly a boy's name.
Cain is a one syllable name, pronounced /keɪn/ (KAYN).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kain, Kane, Cane and Qayin.
Across languages, Cain has these equivalents: Qayin (Hebrew), Caín (Spanish), Kain (German).
Yes, very popular — Cain ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Cain ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Cain's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.