Total births
1,714
Boys' name · since 1969
Cavan
1,714 babies named Cavan in U.S. Social Security records since 1969, with the highest year being 2008. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4237
- among boys today
- 1,714
- born since 1969
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
1,714 babies have been named Cavan since 1969, making it today's #4237 boys' name.
Cavan has 1,714 recorded births among boys since 1969, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4237 as of the latest data, more common than 70% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1969 to 2025.
- #4237 among boys today
- 1,714 born since 1969
- 2000s peak decade
- 70% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cavan is currently the #4237 boys' name in America, more common than 70% of boys - 1,714 born since 1969, peaking in the 2000s.
- #4237
- among boys today
- 1,714
- born since 1969
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Cavan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4237
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 70% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Cavan was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
77 babies were named Cavan in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Cavan compares
1,714 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Cavan's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cavan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,714 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 77 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cavan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cavan's SSA record in two at 1998 and the more recent half accounts for 76% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 24%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1970, with only 7 births recorded -- set against the 2008 peak of 77, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cavan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#4,237
Active since
1969
Cavan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1969–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 77
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Cavan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cavan's strongest decade.
585 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Cavan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 8
1960s
8 births
- 1970s 77
1970s
77 births
- 1980s 155
1980s
155 births
- 1990s
1990s
240 births
- 2000s
2000s
585 births
- 2010s
2010s
472 births
- 2020s 177
2020s
177 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 585 births (34% of all-time use).
How Cavan 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 Cavan's total volume
Cavan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cavan by state
Where Cavan concentrates geographically, total births since 1969
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 87 | 5.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 84 | 4.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 44 | 2.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 34 | 2.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 15 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Cavan's total US births 5.1%
Even split
87 of 1,714 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Cavan appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cavan? ▼
Cavan has been given to 1,714 babies in the U.S. since 1969, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4237 as of the latest data. 77 babies were born in 2008, its single highest year.
When was Cavan most popular? ▼
Cavan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 585 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Cavan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cavan are California (87 births), Texas (84 births), New York (44 births).
How long has the name Cavan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cavan since 1969 -- 57 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Cavan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cavin, Caven, Cavon, Cavani, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cavan's data
- Cavan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (585 total births); usage has since declined to 177 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cavans (87 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 Cavan
Nearby Names Like Cavan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cavan
Cavin Boy
#11125 1,371 births
Caven Boy
#8434 282 births
Cavon Boy
198 births
Cavani Boy
#10648 103 births
Cavion Boy
101 births
Compare Cavan side by side: Cavan vs Cavin Cavan vs Caven Cavan vs Cavon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cavan
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, 1969–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cavan: #4237 Boys' Name - 1,714 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cavan. 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 Cavan 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.