Cathal vs Che
Cathal and Checompared 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 2017, Cathal was ranked #61 and Che #710 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathal was ranked #136 and Che #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Che #1366 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Che over time
Cathal and Che appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cathal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Che 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
Cathal and Che changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #136 and #305.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2024
Cathal held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Che in 1.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #78 in 1997, Che #167 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathal #136, Che #305.
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1996–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Che in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Che #509 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Che #1366.
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 | Cathal | Che |
|---|---|---|
| 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-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #305 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathal has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Che.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cathal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #96 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #31 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Che
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #654 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #167 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys