Cathal vs Gustav
Cathal and Gustavcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Gustav #2320 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Gustav over time
Cathal and Gustav appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Gustav held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathal 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.
Cathal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Gustav 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
England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Gustav in 14.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Gustav #1828 in 2008.
The order changed in 2006: Gustav moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #1851 and #3849; by 2006 that had become #4052 and #2282.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Gustav #2320.
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 | Gustav |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Norway · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathal and Gustav both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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
Gustav
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #154 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys