Casey

♂ Boy

Pronounced KAY-see /ˈkeɪ.si/High

Meaning: Anglicization of the Irish Cathasach, meaning 'vigilant' or 'watchful in battle', from 'cath' (battle) and a suffix indicating a quality — thus 'vigilant warrior'.High

In 30 seconds: Casey is a friendly, unpretentious Irish name with a strong meaning — 'vigilant warrior' — that has been embraced across genders in the United States since the mid-twentieth century.

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Origin HighIrish Gaelic

MeaningAnglicization of the Irish Cathasach, meaning 'vigilant' or 'watchful in battle', from 'cath' (battle) and a suffix indicating a quality — thus 'vigilant warrior'.

U.S. rank (2025)#320 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births1,072 boys (0.06% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1990

Total births (all-time)≈ 116,661

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Casey derives from the Irish Gaelic surname O Cathasaigh, meaning 'descendant of Cathasach'. The root cath means battle, and the full name conveys 'vigilant in war'. The O'Casey clan was centered in County Dublin and Roscommon in Ireland. The name came to the United States with Irish immigrants in the nineteenth century, where it became particularly iconic through engineer John Luther Jones, nicknamed Casey after the town of Cayce, Kentucky.

Casey became a given name in the United States during the twentieth century, initially for boys but increasingly for girls as well. It charted strongly in the top 100 for boys during the 1980s and 1990s. The name is thoroughly cross-gender in modern American use. In pop culture it appears in music (Casey Kasem, the radio personality), television, and literature, maintaining a warm, All-American image.

Did you know? The legendary railroad engineer Casey Jones (John Luther Jones, 1863–1900) became so famous for dying heroically at the throttle of his train that his nickname Casey inspired countless Americans to adopt the name — giving it a distinctly American folk-hero quality.

Overall data confidence 90%

MacLysaght, Edward. The Surnames of Ireland — Etymology of O CathasaighSocial Security Administration Name Data — US popularity and gender trends

Variations

CasyKaseyKC

Nicknames

CaseKC

Famous Bearers

★Casey Jones (John Luther Jones) (1863–1900)
American railroad engineer who became a folk hero for his bravery during a fatal crash.
★Casey Kasem (1932–2014)
American radio personality, host of American Top 40.

If you like Casey…

Brady— two-syllable Irish surname name with similar friendly, American appeal and 1990s popularity

Cody— two-syllable Irish-origin American classic with the same era of peak popularity

Riley— two-syllable Irish surname name that is similarly unisex and popular in the US

Frequently Asked

What does the name Casey mean?

Casey means 'vigilant in battle' or 'watchful warrior', from the Irish Gaelic Cathasach.

How do you pronounce Casey?

Casey is pronounced KAY-see (/ˈkeɪ.si/), two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Casey a boy or girl name?

Casey is used for both boys and girls, making it a genuinely unisex name in the United States.

How popular is Casey?

Casey reached the US top 50 for boys in the 1980s and 1990s and has remained in the top 200 for both genders.