Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Kevin

Meaning — Anglicised from the Irish Caoimhín, composed of the Old Irish elements caomh ("dear, gentle, kind") and -gein ("birth"), meaning roughly "kind birth" or "beloved child." The name was popularised by Saint Kevin of Glendalough, a 6th-century Irish monk known for his asceticism and love of nature. Kevin became widely used in English-speaking countries in the 20th century.·Irish origin·Male·KEV-in

Kevin Kevin is an approachable, down-to-earth name with strong associations with Irish warmth and mid-20th-century suburban Americana. Characters named Kevin often read as relatable everyman figures — good-natured, occasionally underestimated, and capable of surprising depth. The name works well for characters whose inner lives are richer than their outward simplicity suggests.

Best genres for Kevin

Contemporary FictionLiterary FictionCrime FictionYoung Adult

Famous characters named Kevin

No verified literary characters with this exact given name were found yet. We are continuously expanding this section.


Variations & nicknames

KevinKevanKev

Pairs well with

Kevin DonnellyKevin FlanaganKevin BurkeKevin WattsKevin SheridanKevin Mallory

Writing a character named Kevin?

Hearth's distraction-free editor helps you develop characters and write every day.

Start writing free

Related names


More Irish names

Colleen

From the Irish "cailín" meaning "girl" or "young woman". Uniquely among Irish names, Colleen originated not in Ireland but in the Irish diaspora of Australia and America, where English-speaking immigrants adopted the Irish word for "girl" as a given name. It was popularised through the theatrical phenomenon "The Colleen Bawn" (1860) by Dion Boucicault, the most performed play of the nineteenth century.

Nollaig

Derived from the Old Irish word for Christmas, itself from the Latin "natalicia" (nativity). The name is given to children born around Christmas time and has an endearing seasonal quality specific to Irish culture. It reflects the long tradition of Irish naming practices tied to the liturgical calendar.

Branagh

Derived from the Irish "Branach" meaning "descendant of Bran", with Bran meaning "raven". The name carries the raven symbolism of its root — prophecy, battle, and the boundary between life and death — while the "-ach" suffix gives it the sense of a person who embodies or descends from these qualities. The name is both a surname and given name in Irish tradition.

Seán

The Irish form of John, introduced from the Norman French "Jean" (itself from Latin Iohannes and Hebrew Yohanan meaning "God is gracious") following the Norman invasion of Ireland in the twelfth century. Seán quickly displaced the older native form "Eoin" as the most common Irish masculine name and has remained so, producing some of the most celebrated names in Irish cultural history — from Seán O'Casey to Seán Lemass.

Caoimhe

Derived from the Irish word "caomh" meaning "gentle", "beautiful", or "precious". The name has been used in Ireland since the early medieval period and is associated with warmth, kindness, and quiet inner beauty. Several Irish saints bore forms of this name, reflecting its long tradition within Irish Christian culture.

Saoirse

From the Modern Irish "saoirse" meaning "freedom" or "liberty". Saoirse emerged as a given name in twentieth-century Ireland, part of a broader cultural movement to use Irish words of political and cultural significance as personal names. The name carries an obvious resonance with Irish nationalism and the struggle for independence, and has gained international recognition through the actress Saoirse Ronan.


Explore more