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Name at a glance

Cain

Cain is a Hebrew name traditionally connected to qanah, meaning "to acquire" or "to get."

Ranked #1142 in the 2025 SSA records, declining over the past 5 years.

Cain is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve in Genesis 4, whose narrative includes the first recorded murder, God's confrontation, and the mark set to protect him in exile.

Browse namesRead Cain's story
OriginHebrew
GenderBoy
FeelBiblical
PronunciationKAYN

Is Cain biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Cain is a named person in Scripture, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve who kills his brother Abel in Genesis 4.

Is Cain a Christian name?

Used by Christians, not distinctively

Christian tradition Christian cultural usage

Cain has modest modern use shaped by its biblical association, with no positive saint or liturgical heritage and a negative New Testament reception.

Plain answer

Cain is a biblical name, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, used modestly in modern times with engagement shaped mainly by the Genesis narrative.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Cain

Cain comes from the Hebrew Qayin, traditionally connected to the verb qanah meaning "to acquire" or "to get." Genesis 4:1 gives the etymology directly through Eve's exclamation at his birth: "I have gotten a man from the LORD" (the KJV renders qanithi as "I have gotten"). Some scholarly proposals connect the name to a Hebrew word for a metalworker's tool, cognate with the Kenite tribal name; others treat the name as pre-Hebrew and reconstructed folk-etymology in Genesis. The traditional Christian reading takes "acquired" as the primary meaning.

Genesis 4

Cain in the biblical narrative

Genesis 4 is compact: Eve bears Cain and Abel; both bring offerings to God; Abel's is accepted, Cain's is not; God warns Cain about the anger rising in him ("sin lieth at the door"); Cain kills Abel in the field; God confronts Cain and sets a mark on him for his protection in exile; Cain becomes a marked wanderer, marries, and fathers a son Enoch.

The chapter closes with a genealogy of Cain's line that develops metalworking (Tubal-cain), animal husbandry (Jabal), and music (Jubal). Cain's narrative and Seth's parallel narrative (Genesis 4:25 to 5:32) frame the two lines through which Genesis moves toward Noah.

Sound

How to pronounce Cain

Phonetic
KAYN
IPA
/keɪn/

1 syllable · stress: KAYN · ends in a consonant

Languages

Cain in other languages

Hebrew
קַיִןQayinThe original Hebrew form, traditionally connected to the verb qanah ("to acquire") from Eve's exclamation at his birth in Genesis 4:1.
Greek
ΚάϊνKain
Latin
Cain

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Cain is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, elder brother of Abel and (later) Seth. Genesis 4 tells his story: he brings an offering of the fruit of the ground while Abel brings the firstlings of his flock; God accepts Abel's offering but not Cain's; God confronts Cain about his anger ("If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?"); Cain kills Abel in the field; God confronts Cain again ("Where is Abel thy brother?"); Cain becomes a marked wanderer whose descendants build the first city (also named Enoch, after his son) and develop metalworking, animal husbandry, and music (Genesis 4:20-22). The name's Christian usage carries the weight of this narrative. Some American families use Cain as a personal name, often engaging with the biblical register directly; others avoid it. This site describes the biblical figure and the name honestly without recommending either direction.

Bearers

Notable people named Cain

  • biblical

    CainFirstborn son of Adam and Eve; central figure of Genesis 4's narrative of the first recorded murder

  • historical

    Herman CainAmerican businessman, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, and 2012 US presidential candidate, 1945 to 2020

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Cain has appeared in the US SSA records in 89 of 146 years since 1880, with more consistent presence since the 2000s. The name held a Top 1000 position through most of the 2010s, peaking at #727 in 2014, then slipped just outside at #1142 in the 2025 SSA data. Modern American usage exists at a modest level, with the biblical association shaping most families' engagement with the name.

Recent US use

Cain in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#1142
Peak rank
#727 in 2014
Recent trend
declining over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
89 (since 1910)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Sisters

For families

For families looking at Cain

For a Christian family, Cain names the firstborn son of Adam and Eve and the figure of Genesis 4's narrative of jealousy, murder, and exile. Ranked #1142 in US baby names in 2025, just outside the Top 1000 with modest modern use.

Common questions

What does Cain mean?

Cain is traditionally connected to the Hebrew verb qanah meaning "to acquire" or "to get." Genesis 4:1 gives the etymology directly through Eve's exclamation at his birth: "I have gotten a man from the LORD."

Is Cain a biblical name?

Yes. Cain is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve in Genesis 4, whose narrative includes the first recorded murder (of his brother Abel), God's confrontation, and the mark set to protect him in exile.

What is Cain best known for?

Cain is best known for killing his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8) and for the line "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9), his reply to God's confrontation.

How popular is the name Cain?

Cain ranked #1142 in US baby names in 2025, just outside the Top 1000. The name peaked at #727 in 2014.

Sources

Sources for Cain

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology; from qanah, to acquire or to get.
  • Genesis, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: scripture context; firstborn son of Adam and Eve who kills Abel in Genesis 4.
  • National baby names data, US Social Security Administration (2025 release)Supports: US popularity.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

EveCain is Eve's firstborn son (Genesis 4:1). The two names form the earliest human family in scripture; Eve's exclamation at Cain's birth gives the traditional etymology of his name.AbelCain's younger brother, whom Cain killed in the field (Genesis 4:8). The two names are inseparable in the Genesis 4 narrative; the New Testament (Hebrews 11:4, 12:24) reads Abel typologically as the righteous martyr whose blood cries out.AdamCain's father, the first man. The Genesis 4 narrative opens the first human family: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel.SethCain's younger brother, born after Abel's death. Eve names Seth ("appointed") because "God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel" (Genesis 4:25). Seth's line, not Cain's, carries the Genesis 5 genealogy through Noah.EnochCain's son, after whom Cain named the first city (Genesis 4:17). A different Enoch appears later in Seth's line (Genesis 5:24, "walked with God"); the two Enochs are distinct figures.