Cathal vs Levi
Cathal and Levicompared 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 Levi #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathal was ranked #136 and Levi #84 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Levi #122 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Levi over time
Cathal and Levi appear together in 3 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Cathal held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Levi in 1.
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 Levi 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 2018, Levi moved ahead of Cathal in Northern Ireland · Boys — #132 and #157 the year before became #204 and #121.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1988–2025
Cathal held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Levi in 1.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #31 in 2005, Levi #83 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Levi moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #88 and #115; by 2025 that had become #90 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cathal #90, Levi #83.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2024
Cathal held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Levi in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #91 in 2000, Levi #63 in 2023.
The order changed in 2018: Levi moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #132 and #157; by 2018 that had become #204 and #121.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathal #136, Levi #84.
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1996–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Levi in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Levi #122 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Levi #122.
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 | Levi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Possibly means 'joined' or 'attached' in Hebrew, referencing Levi (third son of Jacob and Leah) as ancestor of the Levite priestly tribe. Behind the Name flags the etymology itself as uncertain. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈliːvaɪ/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Levi has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Cathal does not have one recorded yet.
- Cathal and Levi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Levi; Cathal doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Levi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #332 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2004–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys