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 Gaelic 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 Gaelic-derived Kelvin, as well as the Latin Calvin. "Kevin" is one of the top 100 male baby names in Canada, Chile, France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United States. 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. 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. 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).
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