Kevin

See also: Kévin

English

Etymology

(deprecated template usage) Name of an Irish seventh century saint, from Irish Caoimhghin or Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen (literally “comely birth”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: kĕ'vĭn, IPA^(key): /ˈkɛvɪn/, enPR: kĕ'vən, IPA^(key): /ˈkɛvən/
• Rhymes: -ɛvɪn
• Rhymes: -ɛvən

Proper noun

Kevin (plural Kevins)

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

Quotations

• 1990 Ruth Rendell: Going Wrong →ISBN 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 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.

Related terms

• pet form: Kev

Translations

male given name

• Arabic: كِيفِن m (kīfin)
• Catalan: Kevin (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 奇云 (kei⁴ wan⁴), 奇雲／奇云 (kei⁴ wan⁴)

  Mandarin: 凱文／凯文 (zh) (Kǎiwén), 凯文 (zh) (Kǎiwén), 克文 (zh) (Kèwén)

• French: Kevin (fr), Kévin (fr)
• Georgian: კევინ (ḳevin)
• German: Kevin (de)
• Greek: Κέβιν (el) (Kévin), Κεβίνος (Kevínos)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: קווין
• Hindi: कैविन (kaivin)
• Irish: Caoimhín m
• Japanese: ケヴィン (Kevin), ケビン (Kebin)
• Korean: 케빈 (Kebin)
• Portuguese: Kevin m
• Russian: Ке́вин (ru) m (Kévin)
• Spanish: Kevin (es)
• Thai: เควิน (kay-win)

See also

• Sharon

Anagrams

• knive

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Cebuano

Etymology

From English Kevin, from Irish Caoimhghin or Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen (literally “comely birth”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ke‧vin

Noun

Kevin

1. a male given name from English

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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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke.vin/

Proper noun

Kevin ?

1. a male given name recently borrowed from English.

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

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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Portuguese

Proper noun

Kevin m

1. a male given name from English, equivalent to English Kevin

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Swedish

Proper noun

Kevin c (genitive Kevins)

1. a male given name recently borrowed from English.

Anagrams

• Viken, viken