Cailum vs Cillian
Cailum and Cilliancompared 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 2021, Cailum was ranked #374 and Cillian #8 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Cailum was ranked #755 and Cillian #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2012, Cailum was ranked #4805 and Cillian #734 among boys in England and Wales.
Cailum and Cillian over time
Cailum and Cillian appear together in 2 published lists, across 24 years of shared records. Cillian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cailum in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cailum reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Cillian 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 · Boys13 shared years, 1996–2012
Cailum held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Cillian in 10.
Highest recorded here: Cailum #2142 in 2000, Cillian #734 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cailum #4805, Cillian #734.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 1999–2021
Cailum held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cillian in 11.
Highest recorded here: Cailum #290 in 1999, Cillian #9 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Cailum #755, Cillian #9.
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 | Cailum | Cillian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Probably from Old Irish 'cell' (church) combined with a diminutive suffix. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #374 (2021) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cillian has a recorded origin (Irish); Cailum does not have one recorded yet.
- Cailum and Cillian both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cillian; Cailum doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cailum
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2021
Highest recorded position: #271 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #374 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Cillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — 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: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #217 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys