Cathair vs Hugh
Cathair and Hughcompared 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 2000, Cathair was ranked #390 and Hugh #105 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathair was ranked #239 and Hugh #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Cathair and Hugh over time
Cathair and Hugh appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Hugh held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathair 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.
Cathair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Hugh 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
Cathair and Hugh changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2024, ending at #239 and #339.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Cathair held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Hugh in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cathair #164 in 2004, Hugh #126 in 2023.
The order changed in 2024: Cathair moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #395 and #126; by 2024 that had become #239 and #339.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathair #239, Hugh #339.
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 | Cathair | Hugh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #239 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #179 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 92/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathair has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Hugh.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cathair
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #207 among boys in Northern Ireland in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #164 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #239 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Hugh
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #91 among boys in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #53 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys