The first name Kevin
A boy’s name from Irish meaning “dear birth/person”.
Pronounced /ˈkɛvɪn/ 2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Kevin means “dear birth/person” in Irish.
Name of a seventh-century Irish saint, from Irish Caoimhghin or Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen (literally “dear birth/person”). It first became popular outside Ireland in the mid-twentieth century.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 157 boys were named Kevin, making it the 292nd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 400 births (#145).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kevin with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kevin at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,628 boys born in the United States were named Kevin, the 221st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1963, when 30,613 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Kevin in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Kevin in Catalan, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Kevin
477 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Kevin CostnerAmerican actor, born 1955
- Kevin Rudd26th Prime Minister of Australia, born 1957
- Kevin De BruyneBelgian association football player (born 1991)
- Kevin SpaceyAmerican actor, born 1959
- Kevin KeeganEnglish footballer and manager (1951–2026)
- Kevin BaconAmerican actor (born 1958)
- Kevin KlineAmerican actor (born 1947)
- Kevin HartAmerican comedian and actor (born 1979)
- Kevin MitnickAmerican hacker (1963–2023)
- Kevin Michael RichardsonAmerican actor (born 1964)
- Kevin GarnettAmerican basketball player (born 1976)
- Kevin FeigeAmerican producer and studio executive (born 1973)
More Irish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Kevin mean?
- Kevin means “dear birth/person” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Kevin?
- Name of a seventh-century Irish saint, from Irish Caoimhghin or Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen (literally “dear birth/person”). It first became popular outside Ireland in the mid-twentieth century.
- How popular is the name Kevin?
- In 2025, 157 boys born in England and Wales were named Kevin, ranking 292nd. Its peak was 2017, with 400 births.
- What are nicknames for Kevin?
- Common nicknames for Kevin include Kev, Kevvy, Kevy.
- Is Kevin a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,189,844 US babies named Kevin since 1880 were boys.
- When was Kevin most popular?
- 1963 in the United States, when 30,613 babies were named Kevin, its highest rank at 11th.
- How do you pronounce Kevin?
- Kevin is /ˈkɛvɪn/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Kevin?
- Kevyn and Kevan.