Cain vs Neil
Cain and Neilcompared 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 2020, Cain was ranked #270 and Neil #392 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Cain was ranked #676 and Neil #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #1460 and Neil #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Cain and Neil over time
Cain and Neil appear together in 3 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Neil held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cain in 1.
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.
Neil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cain 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
Cain and Neil changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2020, ending at #270 and #392.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cain held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Neil in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cain #184 in 2001, Neil #232 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cain #1460, Neil #968.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1991–2025
Cain held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Neil in 25.
Highest recorded here: Cain #222 in 1999, Neil #81 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cain #676, Neil #372.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1998–2020
Cain held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Neil in 12.
Highest recorded here: Cain #149 in 2003, Neil #99 in 1998.
The order changed in 2020: Cain moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #415 and #363; by 2020 that had become #270 and #392.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Cain #270, Neil #392.
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 | Neil |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cain and Neil both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Neil
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1979
Highest recorded position: #30 among boys in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1979).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys