Alistair vs Cael
Alistair and Caelcompared 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 2012, Alistair was ranked #403 and Cael #403 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Alistair was ranked #471 and Cael #3011 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Alistair was ranked #713 and Cael #601 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alistair and Cael over time
Alistair and Cael appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cael in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alistair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cael 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2018
Alistair held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Cael in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #150 in 1997, Cael #1506 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alistair #471, Cael #3011.
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 | Cael |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #339 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Cael.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Cael
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2337 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2011–2024
Highest recorded position: #311 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2011 (recorded 2011–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #339 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys