Bobby vs Cathair
Bobby and Cathaircompared 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, Bobby was ranked #78 and Cathair #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Bobby was ranked #390 and Cathair #390 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Bobby and Cathair over time
Bobby and Cathair appear together in 1 published list, across 25 years of shared records. Bobby held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathair 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.
Cathair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Bobby 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 2005, Bobby moved ahead of Cathair in Northern Ireland · Boys — #164 and #164 the year before became #149 and #205.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Bobby and Cathair changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2024, ending at #78 and #239.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1998–2024
Bobby held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Cathair in 2.
Highest recorded here: Bobby #59 in 2013, Cathair #164 in 2004.
The order changed in 2005: Bobby moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #164 and #164; by 2005 that had become #149 and #205.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bobby #78, Cathair #239.
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 | Bobby | Cathair |
|---|---|---|
| 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-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #30 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #239 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bobby and Cathair both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Bobby
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1980–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cathair
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #207 among boys in Northern Ireland in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #164 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #239 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys