Cathal vs Naoise
Cathal and Naoisecompared 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 Naoise #88 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathal was ranked #136 and Naoise #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Naoise #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Naoise over time
Cathal and Naoise appear together in 2 published lists, across 56 years of shared records. Cathal held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Naoise in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cathal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Naoise 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathal and Naoise were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 42 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #90 and #88.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1970–2025
Cathal held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Naoise in 1.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #31 in 1998, Naoise #88 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cathal #90, Naoise #88.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1997–2024
Cathal held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Naoise in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #78 in 1997, Naoise #231 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathal #136, Naoise #278.
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 | Naoise |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #88 (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 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathal and Naoise 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
Naoise
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #88 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #118 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls