Cailean vs Caleb

Cailean and Calebcompared 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 2022, Cailean was ranked #414 and Caleb #23 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cailean was ranked #478 and Caleb #42 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cailean was ranked #4270 and Caleb #75 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Cailean was ranked #711 and Caleb #171 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Cailean and Caleb over time

Cailean and Caleb appear together in 3 published lists, across 31 years of shared records. Caleb held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cailean 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.

Cailean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Caleb 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

England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 1996–2024
Cailean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Caleb in 14.
Highest recorded here: Cailean #1850 in 1999, Caleb #74 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cailean #4270, Caleb #75.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1998–2022
Cailean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Caleb in 9.
Highest recorded here: Cailean #243 in 2001, Caleb #23 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cailean #414, Caleb #23.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1995–2013
Cailean held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Caleb in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cailean #301 in 1995, Caleb #122 in 2012.
The order changed in 2004: Caleb moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #301 and #334; by 2004 that had become #506 and #167.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Cailean #711, Caleb #171.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Caleb

Pairs where Caleb shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Oliver vs Caleb
Oliver and Caleb both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Oliver · Caleb · 42 shared years, 1983–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alfie vs Caleb
Alfie and Caleb both rose over the same years in 3 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alfie · Caleb · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Archie vs Caleb
Archie and Caleb both rose over the same years in 3 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Archie · Caleb · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Arthur vs Caleb
Arthur and Caleb both rose over the same years in 3 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Arthur · Caleb · 34 shared years, 1983–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Cailean, Caleb
Field	Cailean	Caleb
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, GB-SCT, IE	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Scotland · Boys #478 (2024)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Cailean and Caleb both have 2 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Cailean

Popularity journey

First recorded1993
First recorded at #275 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 recorded1998–2022
Highest recorded position: #243 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1998–2022).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys

Caleb

Popularity journey

First recorded1982
First recorded at #98 among boys in New Zealand in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2023
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1982–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #108 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys