NameRealm
Casey

Casey: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“vigilant”
Origin
Irish
Say it
KAY-see · 2 syllables
Used for
Both (40% girls, 60% boys since 1880)

From the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, from Cathasach meaning 'vigilant, watchful'. It became a given name through surname use.

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How popular is Casey?

2024400 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Casey in 20241,332

2024 rank#310 boys

Peak year1987

Total US babies since 1880193,458

Casey is steady now but far below its 1987 peak.

Names like Casey

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Kaycemodern spelling of Casey · American (modern coinage)
  • Kaceyvigilant; watchful · Irish
  • Kaseyvigilant, watchful · Irish
  • Kacievigilant · Irish
  • Kacivigilant; watchful · English
  • Kacyvigilant; watchful · Irish
  • Rileyvaliant · Irish
  • Rowanlittle red-haired one · Irish

Casey questions

What does the name Casey mean?

Casey means "vigilant". It comes from Irish. From the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, from Cathasach meaning 'vigilant, watchful'. It became a given name through surname use.

Is Casey a boy or girl name?

Casey is used for both: about 40% of US babies named Casey since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Casey?

1,332 US babies were named Casey in 2024. Its peak year was 1987.

How do you pronounce Casey?

Casey is usually pronounced KAY-see.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.