Cai vs Shane
Cai and Shanecompared 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 2023, Cai was ranked #660 and Shane #107 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Cai was ranked #272 and Shane #181 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cai was ranked #664 and Shane #857 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1996, Cai was ranked #3795 and Shane #3795 among girls in England and Wales.
Cai and Shane over time
Cai and Shane appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Shane held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cai 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.
Shane reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cai 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cai and Shane changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #664 and #857.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cai held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Shane in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cai #214 in 2006, Shane #74 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Cai moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #754 and #754; by 2024 that had become #664 and #857.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cai #664, Shane #857.
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 | Cai | Shane |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Irish Seán |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈʃeɪn/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Seán, Sean, Shaun, Shawn |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #664 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Shane has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Irish Seán); Cai does not have one recorded yet.
- Cai has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Shane.
- A meaning is recorded for Shane; Cai doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cai a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shane a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Cai
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #214 among boys in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #664 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Shane
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys