Alastair vs Caolin
Alastair and Caolincompared 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 2001, Alastair was ranked #243 and Caolin #218 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Side by side
| Field | Alastair | Caolin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1153 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #755 (2021) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alastair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Caolin.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alastair
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #229 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2007
Highest recorded position: #182 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2007).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Caolin
Popularity journey
First recorded1994
First recorded at #342 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1994 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2006
Highest recorded position: #218 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1998–2006).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #755 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2021.
Republic of Ireland · Boys