Cahal vs Damien
Cahal and Damiencompared 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 1998, Cahal was ranked #369 and Damien #137 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2003, Cahal was ranked #3467 and Damien #280 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Cahal was ranked #358 and Damien #320 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Cahal and Damien over time
Cahal and Damien appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Cahal held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Damien in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Damien reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cahal 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.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2016
Cahal held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Damien in 2.
Highest recorded here: Cahal #206 in 2000, Damien #169 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Cahal #358, Damien #320.
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 | Cahal | Damien |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #433 (2021) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #468 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cahal and Damien both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cahal
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2021
Highest recorded position: #206 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #433 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Damien
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #75 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 recorded1969–1993
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1969–1993).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #745 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys