Alistair vs Cabhan
Alistair and Cabhancompared 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 2010, Alistair was ranked #387 and Cabhan #387 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Alistair was ranked #471 and Cabhan #3959 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Cabhan over time
Alistair and Cabhan appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cabhan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 2001–2018
Alistair held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Cabhan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #230 in 2001, Cabhan #3134 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alistair #471, Cabhan #3959.
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 | Alistair | Cabhan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #433 (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
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cabhan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR.
How each name got here
Alistair
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #97 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1964
Highest recorded position: #87 among boys in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1956–1964).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cabhan
Popularity journey
First recorded2001
First recorded at #3134 among boys in England and Wales in 2001 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2010–2021
Highest recorded position: #387 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 2010–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #433 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021.
Northern Ireland · Boys