Barra vs Cathan
Barra and Cathancompared 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, Barra was ranked #305 and Cathan #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2004, Barra was ranked #390 and Cathan #506 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Barra and Cathan over time
Barra and Cathan appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Barra held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Barra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barra and Cathan changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2006 and 2024, ending at #305 and #278.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2006–2024
Barra held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Cathan in 3.
Highest recorded here: Barra #202 in 2017, Cathan #221 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barra #305, Cathan #278.
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 | Barra | Cathan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #170 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #278 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barra and Cathan both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Barra
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #2074 among boys in England and Wales in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2024
Highest recorded position: #221 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2003–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #278 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys