Namewise

Charlie vs Cillian

Charlie and Cilliancompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Cillian #2 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Cillian #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Cillian #83 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Cillian #217 among boys in England and Wales.

Charlie and Cillian over time

Charlie and Cillian appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cillian 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.

Charlie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cillian 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 2023, Cillian moved ahead of Charlie in Northern Ireland · Boys — #5 and #9 the year before became #5 and #4.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Charlie and Cillian averaged 54.7 places apart, ending at #8 and #2.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Charlie and Cillian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #217.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #5 in 2022, Cillian #4 in 2024.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Cillian in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Cillian #4 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Cillian #9.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Cillian in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Cillian #177 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Cillian #217.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Charlie held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Cillian in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Cillian #2 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2023: Cillian moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #5 and #9; by 2023 that had become #5 and #4.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Cillian #2.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Charlie

Pairs where Charlie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Cillian

Pairs where Cillian shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Charlie, Cillian
FieldCharlieCillian
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'.Probably from Old Irish 'cell' (church) combined with a diminutive suffix.
OriginEnglish, via Germanic KarlIrish
Pronunciation/ˈtʃɑːli/Not yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while Cillian is recorded with a Irish origin.
  • Charlie and Cillian both have 2 syllables.
  • Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Cillian's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Charlie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1983

    First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Cillian

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1970

    First recorded at #305 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #217 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys