Cailen
Boy name · 12 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Cailen: 12 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 5 births in 2019.
Cailen is a modern Scottish variant of the Gaelic name Cailean, which itself derives from the Old Irish *Colmán*, meaning "little dove" — a term of endearment linked to peace and gentleness. The name is most famously borne by Cailean Mór, the 15th-century chief of Clan Campbell, whose Gaelic epithet *Mór* ("great") distinguished him as a powerful Highland figure. While no major places are directly named after Cailen, the root *colm* appears in the Scottish island of Colonsay, whose name shares the same "dove" origin. This spelling, with its distinctive "Cai-" opening, is a modern, streamlined variant of the traditional Cailean, and has grown in popularity across Scotland since the 1990s, offering a fresh yet deeply rooted choice.
Boy 3 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 20195 babies
- Latest (2019)
- #5165 babies
- Total births
- 12since 2011
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y