Cathal vs Kobe
Cathal and Kobecompared 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 Kobe #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathal was ranked #136 and Kobe #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Kobe #238 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Kobe over time
Cathal and Kobe appear together in 3 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Cathal held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kobe in 1.
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 3 of those lists, and Kobe 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 · Boys22 shared years, 1997–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kobe in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Kobe #205 in 2020.
The order changed in 1998: Kobe moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #809 and #1345; by 1998 that had become #1000 and #490.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Kobe #238.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2012–2024
Cathal held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Kobe in 1.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #126 in 2013, Kobe #166 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathal #136, Kobe #216.
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2016–2025
Cathal held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kobe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #60 in 2018, Kobe #396 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cathal #90, Kobe #432.
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 | Kobe |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (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 Kobe 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
Kobe
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #1345 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2024
Highest recorded position: #166 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2012–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys