Cain vs Moses
Cain and Mosescompared 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 2015, Cain was ranked #459 and Moses #699 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #619 and Moses #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #1460 and Moses #678 among boys in England and Wales.
Cain and Moses over time
Cain and Moses appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Cain held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Moses 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.
Cain reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Moses 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cain held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Moses in 11.
Highest recorded here: Cain #184 in 2001, Moses #481 in 2006.
The order changed in 2014: Moses moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #520 and #538; by 2014 that had become #583 and #513.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cain #1460, Moses #678.
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 | Cain | Moses |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cain has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Moses.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Cain
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #288 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #149 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Moses
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #573 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 recorded2000–2015
Highest recorded position: #312 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 2000–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #678 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys