Calum vs Cathan
Calum and Cathancompared 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 2004, Calum was ranked #113 and Cathan #506 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2008, Calum was ranked #181 and Cathan #4432 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Calum was ranked #339 and Cathan #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Calum and Cathan over time
Calum and Cathan appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Calum held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathan 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.
Calum reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathan 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
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2003–2024
Calum held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Cathan in 2.
Highest recorded here: Calum #21 in 2006, Cathan #221 in 2022.
The order changed in 2022: Cathan moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #334 and #392; by 2022 that had become #352 and #221.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Calum #339, Cathan #278.
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 | Calum | Cathan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #278 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Calum and Cathan both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Calum
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #298 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — 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: #21 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #2074 among boys in England and Wales in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2024
Highest recorded position: #221 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2003–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #278 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys