Cailan vs Theodor
Cailan and Theodorcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Cailan was ranked #3523 and Theodor #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Cailan and Theodor over time
Cailan and Theodor appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Theodor held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cailan 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.
Cailan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Theodor 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
Cailan and Theodor changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1997 and 2023, ending at #3523 and #651.
- Mirrored each other
Over 24 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Theodor rose about as far as Cailan fell — from #1761 and #2337 in 1997 to #3523 and #651 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2023
Cailan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theodor in 17.
Highest recorded here: Cailan #1190 in 2005, Theodor #514 in 2021.
The order changed in 2007: Theodor moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #1545 and #2870; by 2007 that had become #3589 and #1440.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cailan #3523, Theodor #651.
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 | Cailan | Theodor |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The German form of Theodore, and a Scandinavian, Czech and Romanian variant of Teodor — from Greek 'theos' (god) and 'doron' (gift), 'gift of God'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈteː.o.doːɐ̯/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023) | Norway · Boys #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Theodor has a recorded origin (Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant); Cailan does not have one recorded yet.
- Cailan and Theodor both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Theodor; Cailan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Cailan
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #1761 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys
Theodor
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1948–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1948–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys