Kevin
/ˈkɛvɪn/
noun
Origin
Old Irish
Cóemgein — handsome/gentle birth
Overview
Meaning Now
- A male given name of Irish origin.
Literal older meaning
handsome birth
Language path
Old Irish → Middle Irish → English
Earliest form
Cóemgein
Earliest period
7th century
Journey
The name is strongly associated with Saint Kevin, a 6th-century Irish saint and monk who founded the monastery at Glendalough, County Wicklow. It became widely popular outside of Ireland during the 20th century.
Evolution
- 7th century (Old Irish)
Cóemgein
“handsome birth”
Compound of cóem (dear, gentle, handsome) and gein (birth).
- 12th century (Middle Irish)
Coemgen
“handsome birth”
Evolution of orthography and pronunciation.
- 20th century (Modern English)
Kevin
“given name”
Standardized Anglicized spelling.
Connections
Word parts
Cóem
root
handsome, dear
gein
root
birth
Related across languages
Irish
Caoimhín
Kevin
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Related to Kevin
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.