Brendan vs Cadain
Brendan and Cadaincompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Brendan was ranked #220 and Cadain #610 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #404 and Cadain #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Brendan and Cadain over time
Brendan and Cadain appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Brendan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cadain 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.
Cadain reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Brendan 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Brendan #187 in 2018, Cadain #186 in 2017.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2015–2024
Brendan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Cadain in 3.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #187 in 2018, Cadain #186 in 2017.
The order changed in 2021: Cadain moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #213 and #231; by 2021 that had become #433 and #226.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brendan #404, Cadain #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 | Brendan | Cadain |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #278 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Brendan and Cadain both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Brendan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1613 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Cadain
Popularity journey
First recorded2015
First recorded at #342 among boys in Northern Ireland in 2015 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2015–2024
Highest recorded position: #186 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2017 (recorded 2015–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #278 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys