Cathan vs Eric
Cathan and Ericcompared 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 2004, Cathan was ranked #506 and Eric #103 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cathan was ranked #278 and Eric #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2008, Cathan was ranked #4432 and Eric #320 among boys in England and Wales.
Cathan and Eric over time
Cathan and Eric appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Eric held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathan 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.
Eric reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cathan and Eric changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2005 and 2024, ending at #278 and #239.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Cathan #221 in 2022, Eric #169 in 2020.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2005–2024
Cathan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Eric in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cathan #221 in 2022, Eric #169 in 2020.
The order changed in 2016: Eric moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #237 and #259; by 2016 that had become #320 and #232.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cathan #278, Eric #239.
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 | Cathan | Eric |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #278 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #211 (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
- Cathan and Eric both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #2074 among boys in England and Wales in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2024
Highest recorded position: #221 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2003–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #278 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Eric
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #314 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #399 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys