Cahir vs Kai
Cahir and Kaicompared 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 2024, Cahir was ranked #655 and Kai #30 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cahir was ranked #136 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Cahir and Kai over time
Cahir and Kai appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Kai held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cahir 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.
Cahir reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Kai 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 2010, Kai moved ahead of Cahir in Northern Ireland · Boys — #125 and #133 the year before became #151 and #80.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cahir and Kai changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2024, ending at #136 and #69.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Cahir and Kai averaged 49.2 places apart, ending at #136 and #69.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Cahir #105 in 2021, Kai #52 in 2021.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Cahir held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Kai in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cahir #105 in 2021, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order changed in 2010: Kai moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #125 and #133; by 2010 that had become #151 and #80.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cahir #136, Kai #69.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2006–2024
Cahir held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 11.
Highest recorded here: Cahir #471 in 2018, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cahir #655, Kai #30.
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 | Cahir | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #136 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cahir has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cahir
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #304 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #105 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #136 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Kai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #76 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2002–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys