Given name & surname
Cavan
“a handsome man”
Cavan is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “a handsome man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “a handsome man.”
Where it comes from
Cavan comes from Irish, and ultimately from Cebuano.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In English usage, Cavan as a surname developed from CAOMH.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1969. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Cavan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,714
- 1,714 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 77 babies
- 2025
- 33
- #3,456 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 33 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,456 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 17.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 77 in 2008. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,464 as a first name in 2020; 676 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cavan’s family of names
Cavan has a feminine form in Cavana. Cavan has a related form in Cavin. Cavan has a related form in Cavon.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Cavan
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cavan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Keelan
“a slender and beautiful woman” · “a slender man”
95% boys · 5% girls
Cowan
“from the hollow near the hill; one of twins”
>99% boys
Conlan
“a hero”
>99% boys
Caelan
“a slender warrior; one who is slender and fair”
89% boys · 11% girls
Keegan
“small and fiery woman” · “a small and fiery man”
90% boys · 10% girls
Kaelan
“a mighty warrior”
85% boys · 15% girls
Tiernan
“lord of the manor”
95% boys · 5% girls
Brogan
“one who is sturdy; reliable”
84% boys · 16% girls