Caelan vs Caodhan
Caelan 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, Caelan was ranked #200 and Caodhan #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Caelan and Caodhan over time
Caelan and Caodhan appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Caodhan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Caelan 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.
Caelan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Caodhan 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 2023, Caelan moved ahead of Caodhan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #326 and #326 the year before became #200 and #272.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Caelan and Caodhan changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2007 and 2023, ending at #200 and #272.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Caelan #159 in 2015, Caodhan #214 in 2017.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2007–2023
Caelan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Caodhan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Caelan #159 in 2015, Caodhan #214 in 2017.
The order changed in 2023: Caelan moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #326 and #326; by 2023 that had become #200 and #272.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Caelan #200, 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 | Caelan | Caodhan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Caolán, an Irish name with roots connecting to Cáel in Irish mythology; also sometimes used as a variant of the feminine Kaylyn. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪ.lən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Caolán | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-NIR |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #43 (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
- Caelan has a recorded origin (Irish); Caodhan does not have one recorded yet.
- Caelan and Caodhan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Caelan; Caodhan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR.
- The available evidence gives Caelan 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
Caelan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1337 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2025
Highest recorded position: #43 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2000–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #43 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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