
The short answer
Cairo is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From the name of the city of Cairo in Egypt, called القاهرة (al-Qāhira) in Arabic, meaning ‘the victorious’." It ranked #341 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from the name of the city of Cairo in Egypt, called القاهرة (al-Qāhira) in Arabic, meaning ‘the victorious’. The entry lists its usage as English (Modern).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Cairo ranked #341 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #341 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Cairo in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Cairo mean?
Behind the Name does not give Cairo a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from the name of the city of Cairo in Egypt, called القاهرة.
Is Cairo a popular name?
Cairo ranked #341 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Cairo a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Cairo appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Cairo — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.