Aidan vs Cillian
Aidan and Cilliancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aidan was ranked #136 and Cillian #2 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aidan was ranked #82 and Cillian #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aidan was ranked #155 and Cillian #83 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aidan was ranked #255 and Cillian #177 among boys in England and Wales.
Aidan and Cillian over time
Aidan and Cillian appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Aidan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cillian in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Aidan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cillian in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Cillian moved into the top 50 at #46 in 2013 as Aidan fell out of it to #71, having been #43 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2013, Cillian moved ahead of Aidan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #43 and #60 the year before became #71 and #46.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Cillian rose about as far as Aidan fell — from #62 and #179 in 1997 to #136 and #2 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Aidan and Cillian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #82 and #9.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1970–2025
Aidan held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Cillian in 27.
Highest recorded here: Aidan #35 in 1970, Cillian #4 in 2024.
The order changed in 2003: Cillian moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #62 and #66; by 2003 that had become #64 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aidan #82, Cillian #9.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aidan held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Cillian in 2.
Highest recorded here: Aidan #67 in 2002, Cillian #177 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Cillian moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #220 and #223; by 2023 that had become #243 and #204.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aidan #255, Cillian #177.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aidan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Cillian in 12.
Highest recorded here: Aidan #43 in 2011, Cillian #2 in 2024.
The order changed in 2013: Cillian moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #43 and #60; by 2013 that had become #71 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aidan #136, Cillian #2.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aidan | Cillian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Probably from Old Irish 'cell' (church) combined with a diminutive suffix. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #82 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cillian has a recorded origin (Irish); Aidan does not have one recorded yet.
- Aidan and Cillian both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cillian; Aidan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Aidan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #37 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #82 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys