Unisex name · Irish Gaelic
Casey
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: vigilant, watchfulCasey is a gender-neutral name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "vigilant, watchful". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Vigilant, watchful
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #1065 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Casey
As a gender-neutral name, Casey comes from Irish Gaelic and means "vigilant, watchful". It is used in English and Irish.
In Irish, say KAY-see. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Casey is also a surname: the 519th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 63,424 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Casey on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Casey on 4 lists.
“Vigilant, watchful; Irish, from the surname Ó Cathasaigh”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Irish, Scottish and Welsh
“From Ó Cathasaigh, from cathasach, vigilant. Say KAY-see.”
From Irish boy names, irish surnames used as boy names
“From Ó Cathasaigh, from cathasach, vigilant; unisex, and more often a boys' name. Say KAY-see.”
From Irish girl names, irish place and word names for girls
“Ó Cathasaigh, descendant of Cathasach, watchful or vigilant”
From Irish last names, irish Ó surnames (O' names)
How popular is Casey?
In 2025, 228 girls and 1,072 boys in the US were named Casey.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #1,065
- 228 babies, 142 per million girls
- Best rank
- #80 in 1986
- Most babies: 3,582 in 1987
- Babies since 1921
- At least 78,100
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 3 per million |
| 1950s | 22 per million |
| 1960s | 53 per million |
| 1970s | 560 per million |
| 1980s | 1,625 per million |
| 1990s | 1,439 per million |
| 2000s | 494 per million |
| 2010s | 205 per million |
| 2020s | 152 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #857 | #914 | #916 | #899 | #1,064 | #1,016 | #949 | #1,047 | #1,052 | #1,065 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #320
- 1,072 babies, 628 per million boys
- Best rank
- #80 in 1987
- Most babies: 4,134 in 1990
- Babies since 1888
- At least 116,675
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 32 per million |
| 1900s | 66 per million |
| 1910s | 67 per million |
| 1920s | 31 per million |
| 1930s | 26 per million |
| 1940s | 38 per million |
| 1950s | 131 per million |
| 1960s | 245 per million |
| 1970s | 1,150 per million |
| 1980s | 1,949 per million |
| 1990s | 1,502 per million |
| 2000s | 614 per million |
| 2010s | 297 per million |
| 2020s | 528 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #559 | #524 | #585 | #529 | #517 | #447 | #336 | #316 | #310 | #320 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Casey
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- CadeFrom a surname from an Old English nickname meaning round (Old English, boy)
- CadenMeaning unknown; sometimes from the Irish surname Mac Cadáin (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CalebMost likely from Hebrew kelev, dog (Hebrew, boy)
- CarlyFree man (Germanic, girl)
- CashBox maker (Norman French, boy)
- CastoPure, chaste (Latin, boy)
- ChaseHunter (English, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- GreerWatchful, alert (Greek, girl)
- GregorWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
- GregorioWatchful (Greek, boy)
- IraWatchful (Hebrew, boy)
- EranWatchful, vigilant (Hebrew, boy)
- GréagóirWatchful (Greek, boy)
- GrégoireWatchful (Greek, boy)
- GregoryWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
- GrigoriosWatchful, alert (Greek, boy)
- GrigoryWatchful (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Casey
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Casey: common questions
What does the name Casey mean?
Casey comes from Irish Gaelic and means "vigilant, watchful". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Casey a boy or girl name?
Casey is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 228 girls and 1,072 boys in the US were named Casey, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Casey come from?
Casey comes from Irish Gaelic and means "vigilant, watchful". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Casey?
Casey ranked #1,065 in the US in 2025, with 228 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Casey?
Names spelled like Casey include Cade, Caden, Caleb, Carly and Cash.
What middle names go with Casey?
Middle names that flow well with Casey include Anastasia, Angelina, Aurelia, Brooke and Heather. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.