Caolan vs Setanta
Caolan and Setantacompared 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 2021, Caolan was ranked #84 and Setanta #326 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Caolan was ranked #286 and Setanta #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Caolan and Setanta over time
Caolan and Setanta appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Caolan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Setanta in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Caolan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Setanta 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
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2003–2025
Caolan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Setanta in 0.
Highest recorded here: Caolan #140 in 2005, Setanta #286 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caolan #286, Setanta #286.
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 | Setanta |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caolan has a recorded origin (Irish); Setanta does not have one recorded yet.
- Caolan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Setanta.
- A meaning is recorded for Caolan; Setanta doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, 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
Setanta
Popularity journey
First recorded2003
First recorded at #299 among boys in Northern Ireland in 2003 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys