NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kane

A masculine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "a man of strength and authority".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kane is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kane popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #691, with 52 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 607 births.

This profile covers 7,149 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 9% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 7,578 living people in the UK are called Kane. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kane ranked #691 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 52 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2000, when 607 boys were registered as Kane.
  • Kane ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #395 in 2023.
  • About 7,578 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kane as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#691

2024

Births in 2024

52

Latest year

Peak year

2000

607 births

Estimated living

7,578

2026

Meaning

What does Kane mean?

The name Kane has its origins traced back to the Hawaiian language and culture. It is derived from the Hawaiian word "kane," which means "man" or "male." The name is believed to have been in use among the indigenous people of Hawaii for centuries before the arrival of European explorers and settlers.

In Hawaiian mythology, Kane was the name of one of the four major gods, representing the elemental force of life and creation. The god Kane was revered as the creator of the world and the source of all life. This association with a powerful deity likely contributed to the name's popularity and significance within Hawaiian culture.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kane can be found in the ancient Hawaiian chants and oral traditions, which were passed down through generations. These chants often invoked the names of the Hawaiian gods, including Kane, and celebrated their roles in shaping the islands and the lives of the people.

While the name Kane has deep roots in Hawaiian culture, it has also been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Some notable historical figures with the name Kane include:

1. Robert John Kane (1842-1917), an American Civil War soldier and recipient of the Medal of Honor. 2. Elisha Kent Kane (1820-1857), an American explorer who led two expeditions to the Arctic regions in search of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition. 3. Bob Kane (1915-1998), an American comic book writer and artist best known as the creator of the superhero Batman. 4. Citizen Kane (1941), the renowned film directed by Orson Welles, although the name "Kane" in this context was not a given name but rather a surname. 5. Kane Tanaka (born 1903), a Japanese supercentenarian who is currently the oldest living person in the world as of 2023.

It is worth noting that while the name Kane has Hawaiian origins, its usage has transcended cultural boundaries, and it has been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds, particularly in recent times. The name's association with strength, masculinity, and the natural world has likely contributed to its enduring appeal across different cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kane over time

The chart below shows babies named Kane registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kane, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 52 births in 2024, compared with 607 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kane
0152304455607199620102024

Decades

Kane by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kane was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #567 338 5
2010s #368 1,247 10
2000s #158 3,408 10
1990s #98 2,156 4

Geography

Where Kane is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kane. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kane ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #395 in 2023.

Scotland
4
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Kane in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#619 in 2024

38 years of NRS records, 376 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#395 in 2023

22 years of NISRA records, 125 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Kane

  • Kane Wilson

    association football player

    English association football player (born 2000)

    2000-

  • Kane Crichlow

    association football player

    Bermudian association football player

    2000-

  • Kane Vincent-Young

    association football player

    English association football player (born 1996)

    1996-

  • Kane Haysman

    association football player

    British association football player (born 1995)

    1995-

  • Kane Ferdinand

    association football player

    association football player (born 1992)

    1992-

  • Kane Hemmings

    association football player

    English association football player

    1992-

  • Kane Charig

    judoka; mixed martial arts fighter; amateur wrestler

    1991-

  • Kane Palma-Newport

    rugby union player

    English rugby union footballer

    1990-

Related

Names similar to Kane

FAQ

Kane: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kane in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kane was ranked #691 for boys in England and Wales, with 52 births registered.

When was Kane most popular?

The peak year on record was 2000, with 607 babies registered as Kane in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kane?

A masculine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "a man of strength and authority".

How many people are called Kane in the UK?

A total of 7,149 babies have been registered as Kane across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 376 more in Scotland and 125 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kane most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kane ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #395 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.