Cathal vs Garry
Cathal and Garrycompared 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 2009, Cathal was ranked #47 and Garry #701 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Cathal was ranked #131 and Garry #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Garry #3048 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Garry over time
Cathal and Garry appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 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.
Garry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Cathal 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 Garry changed places 8 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2022, ending at #3449 and #3048.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathal and Garry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 45 years, from 1964 to 2009, ending at #47 and #701.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Cathal #809 in 1997, Garry #573 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2009
Cathal held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Garry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #31 in 1998, Garry #79 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Cathal #47, Garry #701.
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Garry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Garry #573 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Garry #3048.
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 | Garry |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathal and Garry 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
Garry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1974
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1974).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4991 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys