| Quinn | Casey | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Descendant of Conn; chief | Vigilant in war |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | KWIN | KAY-see |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1948 | 1888 |
| Peak year | 2016 (3,649) | 1990 (4,134) |
| In 2025 | 2,634 | 1,072 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Quinn | Casey |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,572 | 5,474 |
| 2010s | 27,227 | 5,582 |
| 2000s | 4,439 | 12,261 |
| 1990s | 1,821 | 29,253 |
| 1980s | 945 | 35,968 |
| 1970s | 326 | 18,987 |
| 1960s | 163 | 4,723 |
| 1950s | 5 | 2,656 |
| 1940s | 5 | 571 |
| 1930s | 0 | 277 |
| 1920s | 0 | 347 |
| 1910s | 0 | 444 |
| 1900s | 0 | 89 |
| 1890s | 0 | 37 |
| 1880s | 0 | 6 |
Quinn comes from the Irish surname Ó Cuinn, “descendant of Conn,” with Conn carrying the sense of “chief” or “wisdom.”
From the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, whose byname 'cathasach' derives from 'cath' (battle) and is usually glossed 'vigilant, watchful' (in war); a secondary reading is 'noisy'.
Quinn is more popular than Casey today: about 2,634 US babies were given the name Quinn in 2025, compared with 1,072 named Casey.
Quinn means Descendant of Conn; chief (Irish origin), while Casey means Vigilant in war (irish origin).
In US records, Quinn first appears in 1948 and Casey in 1888, so Casey has the longer recorded history.