Ciaran vs Paschal
Ciaran and Paschalcompared 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 1988, Ciaran was ranked #28 and Paschal #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ciaran and Paschal over time
Ciaran and Paschal appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Ciaran held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Paschal in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Paschal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ciaran 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1964–1988
Ciaran held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Paschal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciaran #28 in 1985, Paschal #119 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Ciaran #28, Paschal #271.
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 | Ciaran | Paschal |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The unaccented catalogue spelling of Ciarán, a diminutive of Ciar ('black, dark') — borne by two 6th-century Irish saints, Ciarán the Elder (founder of Saighir) and Ciarán the Younger (founder of Clonmacnoise). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish, from Old Irish ciar ('dark') | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈciə.ɾˠaːnˠ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ciarán, Kieran, Kieron, Kyran | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #271 (1988) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Ciaran has a recorded origin (Irish, from Old Irish ciar ('dark')); Paschal does not have one recorded yet.
- Ciaran and Paschal both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ciaran; Paschal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
- The available evidence gives Ciaran a "high" Data Confidence level and Paschal a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ciaran
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #49 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: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Paschal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #119 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 recorded1964–1988
Highest recorded position: #119 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–1988).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent1988
Most recently recorded at #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1988.
Republic of Ireland · Boys