Cathal vs Ronald
Cathal and Ronaldcompared 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 2012, Cathal was ranked #56 and Ronald #718 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Cathal was ranked #3449 and Ronald #670 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathal and Ronald over time
Cathal and Ronald appear together in 2 published lists, across 57 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 1966, Cathal moved ahead of Ronald in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #105 and #103 the year before became #85 and #103.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathal and Ronald were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #56 and #718.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #96 and #89 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 7 places apart; by 2012 they were #56 and #718.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1964–2012
Cathal held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Ronald in 2.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #34 in 2004, Ronald #89 in 1964.
The order changed in 1966: Cathal moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #105 and #103; by 1966 that had become #85 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cathal #56, Ronald #718.
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1996–2022
Cathal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ronald in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cathal #809 in 1997, Ronald #564 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cathal #3449, Ronald #670.
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 | Ronald |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #90 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) |
| 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 Ronald both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Ronald
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #202 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1972
Highest recorded position: #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #796 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys