Caolan vs Derry
Caolan and Derrycompared 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 2016, Caolan was ranked #177 and Derry #541 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Caolan was ranked #1879 and Derry #3048 among boys in England and Wales.
Caolan and Derry over time
Caolan and Derry appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Caolan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Derry in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Derry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Caolan 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
Caolan and Derry changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2022, ending at #1879 and #3048.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2022
Caolan held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Derry in 7.
Highest recorded here: Caolan #973 in 1999, Derry #654 in 1996.
The order changed in 2014: Caolan moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #2954 and #2660; by 2014 that had become #1560 and #2964.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Caolan #1879, Derry #3048.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1989–2016
Caolan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Derry in 1.
Highest recorded here: Caolan #120 in 1999, Derry #253 in 1989.
The order changed in 1990: Caolan moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #278 and #253; by 1990 that had become #229 and #323.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Caolan #177, Derry #541.
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 | Caolan | Derry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally interpreted as 'slender' or 'little slender one' — a diminutive built on the Irish word caol ('slender'). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkiːlˠaːnˠ/ | 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3048 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caolan has a recorded origin (Irish); Derry does not have one recorded yet.
- Caolan and Derry both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Caolan; Derry doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Caolan
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1982 — 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: #28 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Derry
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1975–2016
Highest recorded position: #253 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1975–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3048 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Boys