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At a Glance: Name: Cairo – Meaning: 'the victorious' or 'the conqueror,' from Arabic al-Qāhira (Cairo) – Origin: Arabic (place name, the city of Cairo, Egypt) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: KY-roh
Cairo is a place name taken directly from the Egyptian capital, and in Arabic it comes from al-Qāhira. You may see Cairo described as just a 'beautiful' or stylish place-name pick, but that's not a real translation — al-Qāhira literally means 'the victorious' or 'the conqueror.' It's used as a name for any gender, said KY-roh.
Meaning & Origin of Cairo
Meaning: 'the victorious' or 'the conqueror,' from arabic al-qāhira (cairo).
Origin: Arabic (place name, the city of Cairo, Egypt).
A common claim: Often described simply as 'beautiful' or as a stylish place-name choice, without a real translation. Actually: 'Beautiful' isn't an actual translation — Cairo's Arabic name al-Qāhira literally means 'the victorious/the conqueror,' referencing a historical military triumph tied to the city's founding.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Cairo
Phonetic: KY-roh IPA: /ˈkaɪroʊ/
Popularity of Cairo
Cairo reached its highest point in 2022 at #306, with 1,101 babies given the name that year. By 2024 it had eased to #355, with a count of 944.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1979–2024.
Make Cairo Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Cairo, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Cairo mean?
‘the victorious’ or ‘the conqueror,’ from arabic al-qāhira (cairo). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Cairo)
How do you pronounce Cairo?
Cairo is pronounced KY-roh (IPA: /ˈkaɪroʊ/).
Is Cairo a popular name right now?
Cairo peaked at #306 in 2022 and is ranked #355 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1979–2024.)
📊 How popular is Cairo? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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