Kevin
Say it: KEV-in/ˈkɛvɪn/
BoyIrishMeans usually explained as "dear birth"5 letters2 syllables
#139
in Ireland (2025)
#138 with spellings combined
39
babies in 2025
#11
best rank (1987)
20,691
babies since 1964
Down 51
10-year rank change
Kevin through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 39 | #138 |
| 2024 | 29 | #171 |
| 2023 | 41 | #136 |
| 2022 | 48 | #128 |
| 2021 | 48 | #135 |
| 2020 | 53 | #118 |
| 2019 | 67 | #102 |
| 2018 | 69 | #97 |
| 2017 | 78 | #92 |
| 2016 | 87 | #81 |
| 2015 | 86 | #87 |
| 2014 | 98 | #82 |
| 2013 | 108 | #73 |
| 2012 | 112 | #70 |
| 2011 | 143 | #58 |
| 2010 | 120 | #67 |
| 2009 | 175 | #51 |
| 2008 | 152 | #59 |
| 2007 | 179 | #44 |
| 2006 | 159 | #48 |
| 2005 | 152 | #47 |
| 2004 | 166 | #44 |
| 2003 | 180 | #38 |
| 2002 | 214 | #32 |
| 2001 | 220 | #36 |
| 2000 | 264 | #25 |
| 1999 | 211 | #33 |
| 1998 | 233 | #25 |
| 1997 | 357 | #21 |
| 1996 | 362 | #20 |
| 1995 | 430 | #15 |
| 1994 | 454 | #12 |
| 1993 | 491 | #11 |
| 1992 | 479 | #14 |
| 1991 | 535 | #12 |
| 1990 | 571 | #12 |
| 1989 | 498 | #13 |
| 1988 | 555 | #12 |
| 1987 | 583 | #11 |
| 1986 | 639 | #12 |
| 1985 | 577 | #13 |
| 1984 | 630 | #12 |
| 1983 | 637 | #13 |
| 1982 | 596 | #13 |
| 1981 | 590 | #13 |
| 1980 | 568 | #13 |
| 1979 | 529 | #13 |
| 1978 | 496 | #14 |
| 1977 | 522 | #14 |
| 1976 | 474 | #16 |
| 1975 | 465 | #16 |
| 1974 | 523 | #15 |
| 1973 | 471 | #17 |
| 1972 | 462 | #19 |
| 1971 | 519 | #18 |
| 1970 | 449 | #18 |
| 1969 | 473 | #17 |
| 1968 | 476 | #17 |
| 1967 | 379 | #18 |
| 1966 | 449 | #15 |
| 1965 | 469 | #15 |
| 1964 | 452 | #15 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Kevin mean?
Usually explained as "dear birth"
English form of Irish Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen, from cóem (dear, gentle) and gein (birth).
Say it right
KEVin
The Irish form Caoimhín is said roughly kee-VEEN in Munster and KEE-veen further north.
The story of Kevin
Kevin is the English form of the Irish Caoimhín, from the Old Irish Cóemgen. The first part means dear, gentle or noble, and the second means birth, so the name is usually read as “dear birth” or “dear child”.
Its fame comes from Saint Kevin, who founded the monastery at Glendalough in County Wicklow in the early Middle Ages. Many stories about him deal with animals, above all the blackbird that nested in his hand while he prayed. The name spread beyond Ireland in the twentieth century and is now used across Europe and beyond.
Kevin was one of the most popular boys’ names in Ireland for decades, inside the top 20 right through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The most babies came in 1986, with 639 boys, and it reached number 11 in 1987. It has been less common in Northern Ireland, where its best rank was 60th, in 1998. In 2025, 39 boys were named Kevin.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Kevin (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Caoimhín (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Kevin
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Kev
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin | 39 | 20,691 |
In Northern Ireland
#270 in 2025 with 6 babies. Best rank #60 (1998); 669 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.