Kevin
For other uses, see Kevin (disambiguation).
| Kevin | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Irish |
| Meaning | Gentle birth |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Kev |
 |
Look up Kevin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Kevin (/ˈkɛv.ɪn/; Irish: Caoimhín /kiː.vʲiːnʲ/, Middle Irish: Caoimhghín /kəiṽʲ.ʝiːnʲ/, Old Irish: Cóemgein /koiṽʲ.ɣʲinʲ/, Scottish Gaelic: Caomhainn, Latin: Coemgenus) is a male first name of Goidelic origin. Among the earliest famous bearers of the name was Saint Kevin, although Kevin is not a biblical name. Caoimhghín derives from the Irish caomh (Old Irish cóem) "kind, honest, handsome" and -gin (Old Irish gein) "birth". Kevin influenced the similarly Irish-derived Kelvin, as well as the Latin Calvin.[1] "Kevin" is one of the top 100 male baby names in Chile, France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and the United States.[2] It can also be spelled Kevyn, Keven, or Kevan.
In the United Kingdom, its popularity peaked during the 1950s and 1960s, when it was frequently among the 20 most popular male first names, but by the 1990s it had fallen out of the top 100.[3] In France, the name was very popular during the 80s and 90s, especially in the lower class. There is wide variation both on the pronunciation and accentation. A more Franco-Celtic pronunciation is often written as Kévin, while a consciously Anglo-American pronunciation is written without the accent.[4] For example French horseman Kevin Staut and French runner Kévin Hautcoeur official websites differ, though the French media may pronounce both names similarly.
The female version of Caoimhín (Kevin) is Caoimhe (anglicised as Kiva or Keva).
People
- Kevin Abley (born 1935), Australian rules footballer
- Kevin J. Anderson (born 1962), American science fiction author
- Kevin T. Anderson, American musician
- Kevin Anderson (actor) (born 1960), American actor
- Kevin Anderson (tennis) (born 1986), South African tennis player
- Kevin Anderson (scientist), climate scientist
- Kevin Appier (born 1967), American baseball pitcher
- Kevin Archer (born 1958), English musician and member of Dexy's Midnight Runners
- Kevin Ayers (1944–2013), English songwriter
- Kevin Bacon (born 1958), American actor
- Kevin Bermeister, Australian businessman
- Kevin-Prince Boateng (born 1987), footballer
- Kevin Boyles (born 1967), Canadian volleyball player
- Kevin Bouie (born 1971), American football player
- Kevin Bridges (born 1986), Scottish comedian
- Kevin Carlberg (born 1987), American musician
- Kevin Carr (born 1958), English football goalkeeper
- Kevin Carroll (gridiron football) (born 1969), American football player
- Kevin Carter (1960–1994), South African photographer
- Kevin Cheng (born 1969), American-born Hong Kong actor
- Kevin Cogan (born 1956), American racing driver
- Kevin Corrigan (born 1969), American actor
- Kevin De Bruyne (born 1991), Belgian footballer
- Kevin Costner (born 1955), American actor
- Kevin Doherty (born 1958), Canadian judoka
- Kevin Durand (born 1974), Canadian actor
- Kevin Durant (born 1988), American basketball player
- Kevin Eastman (born 1962), American comic book artist
- Kevin Faulk (born 1976), American football player
- Kevin Federline (born 1978), American dancer
- Kevin Fertig (born 1977), American professional wrestler
- Kevin Forster (born 1958), English long-distance runner
- Kevin Frandsen (born 1982), American professional Baseball player
- Kevin Garnett (born 1976), American basketball player
- Kevin Graves (born 1989), American child actor
- Kevin Gregg (born 1978), American baseball player
- Kevin Gordon (born 1989), Australian Rugby player
- Kevin Hart (born 1979), American actor and comedian
- Kevin Harvick (born 1975), American race car driver
- Kevin Haskins (born 1960), British drummer
- Kevin Haverdink (born 1965), American football player
- Kevin Hayes (cricketer) (born 1962), English cricketer
- Kevin Hayes (hurler) (born 1984), Irish hurler
- Kevin Hayes (ice hockey) (born 1992), American ice hockey player
- Kevin Heinze (1928–2008), Australian television presenter
- Kevin James (born 1965), actor
- Kevin James LaBrie (born 1963), Canadian singer
- Kevin Johnson (born 1966), American basketball player and politician
- Kevin Johnson (executive), CEO of Juniper Networks
- Kevin Jonas (born 1987), member of the Jonas Brothers
- Kevin Kampl (born 1990), Slovenian footballer
- Kevin Kauber (born 1995), Estonian footballer
- Kevin Keegan (born 1951), English footballer and coach
- Kevin Keen (born 1967), English footballer and coach
- Kevin Kilner (born 1958), American actor
- Kevin Kingston (born 1983), Australian Rugby League player
- Kevin Kline (born 1947), American actor
- Kevin Korjus (born 1993), Estonian racing driver
- Kevin Kurányi (born 1982), German footballer
- Kevin Kuske (born 1979), German bobsledder
- Kevin Kyle (born 1981), Scottish footballer
- Kevin Lilly (born 1963), American football player
- Kevin López (born 1990), Spanish athlete
- Kevin Love (born 1988), American basketball player
- Kevin Lundberg (born 1952), member of Colorado State Senate
- Kevin Lynch (hunger striker) (1956–1981), Irish republican, IRA hunger striker who died in 1981
- Kevin Magnussen (born 1992), Danish racing driver
- Kevin Maggs (born 1974), Irish rugby player
- Kevin Martin (born 1983), American basketball player
- Kevin Martin, British musician and music producer
- Kevin Mason (born 1972), American football player
- Kévin Mayer (born 1992), French decathlete
- Kevin McCarthy (1914–2010), American actor
- Kevin McDonald (born 1961), Canadian comedian and actor
- Kevin McHale (born 1957), American basketball player
- Kevin McKidd (born 1973), Scottish film actor
- Kevin McMahon (born 1972), American hammer thrower
- Kevin Mitchell (born 1981), Canadian water polo player
- Kevin Mitnick (born 1963), computer security consultant and convicted hacker
- Kevin Hulisani Mmbara (born 1979), South African political youth leader
- Kevin Nadal (born 1978), author, professor, activist, and comedian
- Kevin Naiqama (born 1989), Australian-Fijian Rugby League player
- Kevin Nanney (born 1989), American professional Super Smash Bros. Melee player known as PPMD
- Kevin Nash (born 1959), American professional wrestler
- Kevin Nealon (born 1953), American actor
- Kevin Neufeld (born 1960), Canadian rower
- Kevin Newsome (born 1991), American football player
- Kevin O'Higgins (1892–1927), Irish politician
- Kevin Ollie (born 1972), American basketball player
- Kevin Pietersen (born 1980), English cricketer
- Kevin Pillar (born 1989), major league baseball player
- Kevin Pollak (born 1957), American actor
- Kevin Reynolds (director), American film director
- Kevin Reynolds (figure skater) (born 1990), Canadian figure skater
- Kevin Reynolds (unionist), Australian trade unionist and politician
- Kévin Reza (born 1988), French racing cyclist
- Kevin Richardson (musician) (born 1971), former member of the Backstreet Boys
- Kevin Richardson (footballer) (born 1962), English former soccer player
- Kevin Richardson (American football) (born 1986), college running back
- Kevin Michael Richardson (born 1964), American voice actor
- Kevin Robertson (born 1959), Water polo player
- Kevin Rolland (born 1989), French freestyle skier
- Kevin Rose (born 1977), founder of Digg
- Kevin Rowland (born 1953), musician and former frontman of the band Dexys Midnight Runners
- Kevin Rudd (born 1957), 26th Prime Minister of Australia, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Kevin Rudolf (born 1983), American singer
- Kevin Sheedy (born 1947), Australian footballer and Member of the Order of Australia
- Kevin Sheedy (born 1959), Irish footballer
- Kevin Shields (born 1963), musician
- Kevin Simm (born 1980), English singer, songwriter, and musician who was a member of the pop group Liberty X
- Kevin Sinfield (born 1980), English rugby league player and current captain of the Leeds Rhinos
- Kevin Smith (born 1970), American screenwriter, producer and director
- Kevin Smith (New Zealand actor) (1963–2002), New Zealand actor
- Kevin Sorbo (born 1958), American actor
- Kevin Spacey (born 1959), American actor
- Kevin Stevens (born 1965), American hockey player
- Kevin Thiele, Australian botanist
- Kevin Tighe (born 1944), American actor
- Kevin Ullyett (born 1972), former professional tennis player from Zimbabwe
- Kevin Ray Underwood (born 1979), convicted murderer
- Kevin Von Erich (born 1957), retired American professional wrestler
- Kevin Warwick (born 1954), British cybernetics professor at the University of Reading
- Kevin White (mayor) (1929–2012), American mayor of Boston 1968–1984
- Kevin Youkilis (born 1979), American baseball player
See also
- List of Scottish Gaelic given names
- List of Irish-language given names
- Kavin – The Tamil name
- Eugene – a name of Greek origin with a similar meaning
References
- ↑ A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press, 2007.
- ↑ Behind the Name: Search Results
- ↑ http://www.babynames.co.uk/meaning_origin_name_Kevin.htm
- ↑ Est-ce mieux Kevin ou Kévin et pourquoi ? "Super commun comme now dans mon pays , Kevin c’est internationale , Kévin c’est francais et la prononciation est different: Kévin se prononcent kai–vain en francais Tandis que kevin se prononcent Kai–Vinne ou k-Vine "