Where does the name Kevin come from?

Kevin is a boy name of Irish origin.

Is Kevin a boy or a girl name?

Kevin is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Kevin are girls and 100% are boys.

How popular is the name Kevin in 2023?

Kevin ranks #16418 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1963 with 30,734 babies.

How do you pronounce Kevin?

Kevin is pronounced KEV-in (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Kevin?

Kevin is also written as Kevyn, Cévin, Caoimhín.

A name from Irish · Boy

Kevin

Anglicized from Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen — coém ("kind, gentle") + gen ("birth"), i.e. "kind-born." St. Kevin of Glendalough is one of Ireland's most-loved early saints.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 111-year arc in numbers.

1,181,054 U.S. births recorded from 1912–2023.

Popularity · 1912–2023

1,925 births in 2023

1912 1967 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

KAnglicized from Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen — coém ("kind, gentle") + gen ("birth"), i.e. "kind-born." St. Kevin of Glendalough is one of Ireland's most-loved early saints.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Kevin".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Kevyn Most common Cévin Caoimhín

Quick answers

People often ask about Kevin.

What does the name Kevin mean?: Kevin means anglicized from Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen — coém ("kind, gentle") + gen ("birth"), i.e. "kind-born." St. Kevin of Glendalough is one of Ireland's most-loved early saints.
Where does the name Kevin come from?: Kevin is a boy name of Irish origin.
Is Kevin a boy or a girl name?: Kevin is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Kevin are girls and 100% are boys.
How popular is the name Kevin in 2023?: Kevin ranks #16418 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1963 with 30,734 babies.
How do you pronounce Kevin?: Kevin is pronounced KEV-in (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Kevin?: Kevin is also written as Kevyn, Cévin, Caoimhín.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.