Cain
Boy name · #1142 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 185 baby boys were named Cain, placing it at #1142 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #742, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,730 boys born in 2025 was named Cain.
The 115-year story
Cain first appears in the Social Security records in 1910, when 9 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 330 boys were named Cain — good for #727 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.
Babies named Cain per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cain against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cain in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cain is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Cain will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cain is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cain is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Cain is most common in OH (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Cain is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Cain
Statistically, parents drawn to Cain tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kain, Zain, Korbin, Rain, and Coen.
KainZainKorbinRainCoenTorinCianCanaan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cain | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #1141 |
| 2024 | 230 | #980 |
| 2023 | 250 | #921 |
| 2022 | 253 | #913 |
| 2021 | 235 | #956 |
| 2020 | 254 | #892 |
| 2019 | 285 | #806 |
| 2018 | 251 | #870 |
| 2017 | 262 | #843 |
| 2016 | 324 | #750 |
| 2015 | 326 | #742 |
| 2014 | 330 | #727 |
| 2013 | 285 | #792 |
| 2012 | 290 | #782 |
| 2011 | 254 | #845 |
| 2010 | 207 | #958 |
| 2009 | 200 | #988 |
| 2008 | 189 | #1014 |
| 2007 | 141 | #1246 |
| 2006 | 135 | #1239 |
| 2005 | 139 | #1150 |
| 2004 | 126 | #1206 |
| 2003 | 127 | #1173 |
| 2002 | 150 | #1022 |
| 2001 | 137 | #1053 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cain a popular boy name?
Cain ranked #1142 among boys in 2025 with 185 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #742.
When was the name Cain most popular?
Cain peaked in 2014, when 330 American boys received the name (ranked #727 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cain?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,730 newborn American boys was named Cain. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.