Cahal vs Mason
Cahal and Masoncompared 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 2021, Cahal was ranked #433 and Mason #31 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2003, Cahal was ranked #3467 and Mason #87 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1998, Cahal was ranked #369 and Mason #369 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Cahal and Mason over time
Cahal and Mason appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Mason held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cahal 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.
Cahal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mason 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 2001, Mason moved ahead of Cahal in Northern Ireland · Boys — #206 and #224 the year before became #280 and #181.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2000–2021
Cahal held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Mason in 9.
Highest recorded here: Cahal #206 in 2000, Mason #20 in 2015.
The order changed in 2001: Mason moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #206 and #224; by 2001 that had become #280 and #181.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Cahal #433, Mason #31.
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 | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English surname, from Old French masson/macon |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmeɪsən/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #433 (2021) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mason has a recorded origin (English surname, from Old French masson/macon); Cahal does not have one recorded yet.
- Cahal and Mason both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Mason; Cahal doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys