Cathal vs Evan
Cathal and Evancompared 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 2025, Cathal was ranked #90 and Evan #80 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathal was ranked #136 and Evan #125 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Evan #167 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Evan over time
Cathal and Evan appear together in 3 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Evan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cathal 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.
Cathal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Evan 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Evan moved ahead of Cathal in Northern Ireland · Boys — #139 and #181 the year before became #136 and #125.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cathal and Evan changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #136 and #125.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Cathal and Evan averaged 35.8 places apart, ending at #136 and #125.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathal and Evan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 57 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #90 and #80.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1969–2025
Cathal held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Evan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #31 in 1998, Evan #23 in 2007.
The order changed in 1999: Evan moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #31 and #32; by 1999 that had become #42 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cathal #90, Evan #80.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Cathal held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Evan in 18.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #78 in 1997, Evan #79 in 2010.
The order changed in 2024: Evan moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #139 and #181; by 2024 that had become #136 and #125.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathal #136, Evan #125.
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1996–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Evan in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Evan #70 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Evan #167.
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 | Evan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #80 (2025) |
| 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 and Evan both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Evan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1969–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #350 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys