Cailin vs Eileen

Cailin and Eileencompared 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 · Girls
In 2009, Cailin was ranked #364 and Eileen #364 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Cailin was ranked #734 and Eileen #396 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Cailin was ranked #5493 and Eileen #1238 among girls in England and Wales.

Cailin and Eileen over time

Cailin and Eileen appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Eileen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cailin in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Eileen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Cailin 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

Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1977–2017
Cailin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Eileen in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cailin #356 in 1996, Eileen #63 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Cailin #734, Eileen #396.
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2020
Cailin held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Eileen in 19.
Highest recorded here: Cailin #1372 in 2002, Eileen #916 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Cailin #5493, Eileen #1238.

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 Eileen

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

Geraldine vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #9 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2021 they were #883 and #322.
Geraldine · Eileen · 51 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Republic of Ireland ranking
Pauline vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #12 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2018 they were #896 and #336.
Pauline · Eileen · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Eileen vs Carmel
In 1964 they stood at #17 and #21 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2015 they were #362 and #896.
Eileen · Carmel · 46 shared years, 1964–2015 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2015 Republic of Ireland ranking
Deirdre vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #14 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2019 they were #871 and #421.
Deirdre · Eileen · 51 shared years, 1964–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2019 Republic of Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Cailin, Eileen
Field	Cailin	Eileen
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	female
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, IE	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #5493 (2020)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Cailin and Eileen both have 2 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Cailin

Popularity journey

First recorded1977
First recorded at #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2018
Highest recorded position: #213 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2018).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #5493 among girls in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Girls

Eileen

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls