Arthur vs Caodhan
Arthur and Caodhancompared 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 2023, Arthur was ranked #14 and Caodhan #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Arthur and Caodhan over time
Arthur and Caodhan appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Caodhan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Caodhan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Arthur 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Arthur moved ahead of Caodhan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #231 and #218 the year before became #161 and #247.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2007–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Caodhan in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Caodhan #214 in 2017.
The order changed in 2012: Arthur moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #231 and #218; by 2012 that had become #161 and #247.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #14, Caodhan #272.
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 | Arthur | Caodhan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-NIR |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #272 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Caodhan does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Caodhan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Caodhan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Caodhan a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Caodhan
Popularity journey
First recorded2007
First recorded at #276 among boys in Northern Ireland in 2007 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2007–2023
Highest recorded position: #214 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2017 (recorded 2007–2023).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #272 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023.
Northern Ireland · Boys