Dear birth or dear person, in the Old Irish-rooted tradition.
The reviewed etymology supplies this explanation for the old name formation. The licensed gentle and handsome child glosses are not silently treated as the same literal translation.
Origin
Irish, through Caoimhghin or Caoimhín.
The source traces the English name to Old Irish Coemgen through the Irish name tradition.
English pronunciation
/ˈkɛvɪn/
One documented English reading, with the last vowel as in pin. A reduced second-syllable reading is also recorded.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
1996
Girls
6
2247
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada
2025
Boys
103 · preliminary
322
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
1989
Girls
5 (rounded to 5)
3656
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
France
2025
Boys
70 (rounded to 5)
619
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Boys
157
292
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2025
Boys
6
270
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Boys
10
333
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Boys
39
139
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2024
Girls
5
15293
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
2025
Boys
1,628
221
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Meaning: Dear birth or dear person, in the Old Irish-rooted tradition.
Checked against cited source
The reviewed etymology supplies this explanation for the old name formation. The licensed gentle and handsome child glosses are not silently treated as the same literal translation.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Kev
Checked against cited source
A documented English short form of Kevin. The exact Kev personal-name definition explicitly identifies Kevin; unrelated slang senses are not treated as a name meaning. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Kev personal-name entry at the cited revision. Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Kev&oldid=90036933. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized explicit name relationships or transcribed the documented English readings. Name spellings retain separate statistics and preferred readings. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: Irish, through Caoimhghin or Caoimhín.
Checked against cited source
The source traces the English name to Old Irish Coemgen through the Irish name tradition.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /ˈkɛvɪn/
Checked against cited source
One documented English reading, with the last vowel as in pin. A reduced second-syllable reading is also recorded.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Cevin
Checked against cited source
Recorded alternate form in the handbook. Each spelling keeps its own popularity records; pronunciation and cultural usage may differ. Credit: Eva Brylla and Katharina Leibring, Förnamn i Sverige – kortfattat namnlexikon, second edition (Isof, 2026). Source: https://isof.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2041530/FULLTEXT01.pdf#page=232. License: Original factual summary; source rights retained (https://isof.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2041530/FULLTEXT01.pdf). Copyright remains with Charlotta Seiler Brylla, Katharina Leibring and Isof. Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized explicit alternate-form relationships in original wording; no source prose, images or recordings are reproduced.
Recorded alternate form in the handbook. Each spelling keeps its own popularity records; pronunciation and cultural usage may differ. Credit: Eva Brylla and Katharina Leibring, Förnamn i Sverige – kortfattat namnlexikon, second edition (Isof, 2026). Source: https://isof.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2041530/FULLTEXT01.pdf#page=232. License: Original factual summary; source rights retained (https://isof.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2041530/FULLTEXT01.pdf). Copyright remains with Charlotta Seiler Brylla, Katharina Leibring and Isof. Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized explicit alternate-form relationships in original wording; no source prose, images or recordings are reproduced.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.