Cillian vs Craig
Cillian and Craigcompared 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 2023, Cillian was ranked #9 and Craig #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Cillian was ranked #25 and Craig #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cillian was ranked #83 and Craig #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cillian was ranked #177 and Craig #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Cillian and Craig over time
Cillian and Craig appear together in 3 published lists, across 98 years of shared records. Craig held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cillian in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Craig 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 2006, Cillian moved ahead of Craig in Northern Ireland · Boys — #178 and #149 the year before became #110 and #167.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Cillian rose about as far as Craig fell — from #305 and #235 in 1970 to #9 and #516 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Cillian and Craig were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 52 years, from 1970 to 2023, ending at #9 and #516.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1970–2023
Cillian held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Craig in 31.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #9 in 2022, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order changed in 2003: Cillian moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #66 and #59; by 2003 that had become #60 and #63.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cillian #9, Craig #516.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cillian held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Craig in 17.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #177 in 2024, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order changed in 2013: Cillian moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #734 and #577; by 2013 that had become #730 and #771.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cillian #177, Craig #2263.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2015
Cillian held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Craig in 9.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #25 in 2015, Craig #68 in 1997.
The order changed in 2006: Cillian moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #178 and #149; by 2006 that had become #110 and #167.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Cillian #25, Craig #415.
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 | Cillian | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Probably from Old Irish 'cell' (church) combined with a diminutive suffix. | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Irish | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cillian is recorded with a Irish origin, while Craig is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) origin.
- Cillian has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Craig.
- Cillian's recorded meaning differs from Craig'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
Cillian
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys