Cain vs Reilly
Cain and Reillycompared 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 2017, Cain was ranked #415 and Reilly #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #619 and Reilly #535 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Cain was ranked #755 and Reilly #755 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #1460 and Reilly #3688 among boys in England and Wales.
Cain and Reilly over time
Cain and Reilly appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Cain held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Reilly in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cain reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Reilly 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 29 of those years, Reilly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cain #184 in 2001, Reilly #569 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cain #1460, Reilly #3688.
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 | Reilly |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, 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 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cain has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Reilly.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Reilly
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 recorded2006–2017
Highest recorded position: #291 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 2006–2017).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3688 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys