Kane in Irish? Cian Is the Closest Irish Name
Kane comes from an Irish surname, an anglicised form of Ó Catháin, “descendant of Cathán,” which Woulfe explains as a pet form of some name beginning with Cath-. Kane doesn’t come from Cian, which only sounds similar, but Cian is the closest Irish first name on this site. Here’s how to say Cian, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Closest Irish name
- Cian
- Cian means
- Ancient, enduring
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 468 for boys (2025)
How do you say Cian?
The closest Irish name to Kane is Cian. Cian is pronounced KEY-in. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Cian mean?
Cian means “ancient, enduring.” Kane comes from an Irish surname, an anglicised form of Ó Catháin, “descendant of Cathán,” which Woulfe explains as a pet form of some name beginning with Cath-.
Read more about Cian: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is Kane in Ireland?
In 2025, 7 baby boys in Ireland were named Kane, which made it No. 468 that year. That's up from No. 503 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2002, when 12 baby boys were named Kane, No. 216 that year. The most babies got the name in 2007: 16. It first appears in the records in 1988, with 5 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | No. 468 |
| 2024 | 10 | No. 374 |
| 2023 | 12 | No. 330 |
| 2022 | 10 | No. 380 |
| 2021 | 9 | No. 390 |
| 2020 | 5 | No. 556 |
| 2019 | 10 | No. 370 |
| 2018 | 11 | No. 350 |
| 2017 | 3 | No. 710 |
| 2016 | 5 | No. 541 |
| 2015 | 6 | No. 503 |
| 2014 | 8 | No. 428 |
| 2013 | 11 | No. 352 |
| 2012 | 7 | No. 457 |
| 2011 | 4 | No. 623 |
| 2010 | 6 | No. 491 |
| 2009 | 10 | No. 366 |
| 2007 | 16 | No. 247 |
| 2006 | 9 | No. 314 |
| 2005 | 14 | No. 231 |
| 2004 | 11 | No. 244 |
| 2003 | 12 | No. 228 |
| 2002 | 12 | No. 216 |
| 2001 | 6 | No. 297 |
| 2000 | 3 | No. 390 |
| 1999 | 5 | No. 290 |
| 1998 | 6 | No. 242 |
| 1997 | 8 | No. 251 |
| 1996 | 5 | No. 295 |
| 1995 | 5 | No. 281 |
| 1994 | 5 | No. 263 |
| 1992 | 4 | No. 298 |
| 1991 | 4 | No. 288 |
| 1989 | 3 | No. 307 |
| 1988 | 5 | No. 254 |
Cian in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Cian, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- IIodhadh, yew
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Kane
Questions about Kane
- What is the closest Irish name to Kane?
- Kane comes from an Irish surname, an anglicised form of Ó Catháin, “descendant of Cathán,” which Woulfe explains as a pet form of some name beginning with Cath-. Kane doesn’t come from Cian, which only sounds similar, but Cian is the closest Irish first name on this site. Cian is pronounced KEY-in.
- How do you pronounce Cian?
- Cian is pronounced KEY-in, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- How popular is Kane in Ireland?
- In 2025, Kane was No. 468 for boys in Ireland, with 7 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2002, at No. 216.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA50 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Behind the Name, Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), Wikipedia and CELT, University College Cork. How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com