Total births
7,628
Boys' name · since 1910
Cain
Since 1910, U.S. Social Security records show 7,628 babies named Cain, peaking in 2014. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #981
- among boys today
- 7,628
- born since 1910
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cain is the #981 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 7,628 recorded since 1910.
Cain has 7,628 recorded births among boys since 1910, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #981 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1910 to 2025.
- #981 among boys today
- 7,628 born since 1910
- 2010s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cain is currently the #981 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 7,628 born since 1910, peaking in the 2010s.
- #981
- among boys today
- 7,628
- born since 1910
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Cain vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#981
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Cain was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
330 babies were named Cain in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Cain compares
7,628 Top 10% higher than 90% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cain's all-time total is 21x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cain | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,628 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 330 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cain's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cain splits its recorded history at 1981: 93% of all births land in the more recent half, 7% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1928 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2014 peak of 330 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cain at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2014
Current rank
#981
Active since
1910
Cain popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 330
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Cain by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Cain's strongest decade.
2,814 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Cain births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 31
1910s
31 births
- 1920s 51
1920s
51 births
- 1930s 35
1930s
35 births
- 1940s 15
1940s
15 births
- 1950s 38
1950s
38 births
- 1960s 73
1960s
73 births
- 1970s 257
1970s
257 births
- 1980s 380
1980s
380 births
- 1990s 1,046
1990s
1,046 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,481 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,814 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,407 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,814 births (37% of all-time use).
How Cain compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cain's total volume
Cain vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cain by state
Where Cain concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,119 | 14.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 822 | 10.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 311 | 4.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 280 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 247 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 220 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 202 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 182 | 2.4% |
California share of Cain's total US births 14.7%
Even split
1,119 of 7,628 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Cain appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cain? ▼
7,628 babies have been named Cain since 1910. It currently ranks #981 among boys. The peak year was 2014 with 330 births.
When was Cain most popular? ▼
Cain was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,814 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Cain most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cain are California (1,119 births), Texas (822 births), Ohio (311 births).
How long has the name Cain been used? ▼
Records for Cain go back to 1910, giving 116 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cain? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Caiden, Cairo, Caius, Caine, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cain's data
- Cain's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,814 total births) through the 2020s (1,407) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Cains (1,119 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cain
Nearby Names Like Cain
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cain
Caiden Boy
#546 23,341 births
Cairo Boy
#355 9,415 births
Caius Boy
#1060 2,329 births
Caine Boy
#2272 2,104 births
Cai Boy
#1913 1,450 births
Compare Cain side by side: Cain vs Caiden Cain vs Cairo Cain vs Caius
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cain
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1910–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cain: #981 Boys' Name - 7,628 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cain. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cain draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.