Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Cagney

Cagney

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Cagney

Pronounced CAG-nee /ˈkæɡ.niː/Medium

Meaning: Cagney is an Irish surname, an anglicized form of O Caingne, taken up as a girl's given name. Its use for girls was driven largely by the detective Christine Cagney of the television series 'Cagney & Lacey'.Low

In 30 seconds: Cagney is an Irish surname turned first name — lifted for girls by the TV drama 'Cagney & Lacey' (said 'CAG-nee').
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumIrish
MeaningCagney is an Irish surname, an anglicized form of O Caingne, taken up as a girl's given name. Its use for girls was driven largely by the detective Christine Cagney of the television series 'Cagney & Lacey'.
U.S. rank (2009)#17795 ↘ Falling
2009 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1986
Total births (all-time)≈ 186

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198619822009

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Cagney began as an Irish surname, anglicized from O Caingne. Its life as a girl's first name owes almost everything to 'Cagney & Lacey', the acclaimed police drama built around detectives Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey, which ran through the middle nineteen-eighties.

It has never been common as a given name, its brief crest around 1986 matching the show's popularity. The name remains a rare, spunky surname-style pick rather than a mainstream one.

Did you know? Cagney's small run for girls tracks the television series 'Cagney & Lacey', which aired from 1982 to 1988; even so it reached only a few dozen girls a year.
Overall data confidence 55%
References — Cagney — Irish surname / 'Cagney & Lacey' TV

Variations

CagneeCagnyKagney

Nicknames

CagNee

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Cagney…

Cassidy— a like Irish surname-name for girls
Delaney— a like Irish surname turned first name
Mackenzie— a like surname-name of the era
Sydney— a like unisex surname-style pick

Explore names like Cagney

By thememodernraresurname-name

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Cagney mean?

Cagney is an Irish surname used as a first name, made familiar for girls by the TV series 'Cagney & Lacey'.

How do you pronounce Cagney?

It's said CAG-nee /ˈkæɡ.niː/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Cagney a boy or girl name?

Cagney is used here as a girl's name; it also appears occasionally for boys.

How popular is Cagney?

Cagney has always been rare in the U.S., its small use for girls tied to an eighties TV drama.

💬 Ask Nia