Kevin

See also Kévin

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: kĕ'vĭn, IPA: /ˈkɛvɪn/, X-SAMPA: /"kEvIn/
• Rhymes: -ɛvɪn

Etymology

Name of an Irish seventh century saint, from Irish Caoimhghín or Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgein, "comely birth".

Proper noun

Kevin (plural Kevins)

1. A male given name. It first became popular outside Ireland in the mid-twentieth century.
2. (UK, pejorative, slang) A working-class male.

Related terms

• pet form: Kev

Quotations

• 1990 Ruth Rendell: Going Wrong ISBN 0091743001 page 157:

  "Guy," he said. He said it slowly and with a certain puzzlement. He said it again, thoughtfully, as if it were a name of someone he had known long ago but couldn't quite place. "Guy. Yes - don't you find it difficult being called that? I mean, if Nora hadn't said, I'd have put you down as a Kevin, or a Barry. Yes, Barry would suit you."

  He looked like an innocent child, smiling, wide-eyed, his cheeks plump and rosy, defying the object of his insults to take offence.

• 1996 Frank McCourt: Angela's Ashes. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0 00 649840 X page 203:

  They sit by the fire smoking and talking about names. Mam says she likes the names Kevin and Sean but Bridey says, Ah no, there's too many of them in Limerick. Jesus, Angela, if you stuck your head out of the door and called , Kevin or Sean, come in for your tea, you'd have half o' Limerick running to your door.

Translations

male given name

• Arabic: كيفن (ar) (kiifin) m
• Armenian: Կարապետ (hy) (Karapet)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 凱文 (cmn), 凯文 (cmn) (Kǎiwén), 克文 (cmn) (Kèwén)

• Georgian: კევინ (ka) (kʼevin)
• Greek: Κέβιν (el) (Kévin)
• Hebrew: קווין (he)

• Hindi: कैविन (hi) (kaivin)
• Irish: Caoimhín (ga) m
• Japanese: ケヴィン (ja) (Kevin), ケビン (ja) (Kebin)
• Korean: 케빈 (ko) (Kebin)
• Russian: Кевин (ru) (Kévin) m
• Thai: เควิน (th) (kay-win)

See also

• Sharon

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Danish

Proper noun

Kevin

1. A male given name recently borrowed from English.

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Estonian

Proper noun

Kevin

1. A male given name recently borrowed from English.

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French

Alternative forms

• Kévin

Proper noun

Kevin

1. A male given name recently borrowed from English.

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German

Proper noun

Kevin

1. A male given name recently borrowed from English.

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Norwegian

Proper noun

Kevin

1. A male given name recently borrowed from English.

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Swedish

Proper noun

Kevin

1. A male given name recently borrowed from English.