Cillian vs Gene
Cillian and Genecompared 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 2023, Cillian was ranked #4 and Gene #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cillian was ranked #4 and Gene #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cillian was ranked #83 and Gene #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cillian was ranked #177 and Gene #702 among boys in England and Wales.
Cillian and Gene over time
Cillian and Gene appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Cillian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gene in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cillian and Gene changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #177 and #702.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2024
Cillian held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Gene in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #177 in 2024, Gene #684 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cillian #177, Gene #702.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1972–2024
Cillian held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Gene in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #4 in 2024, Gene #255 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cillian #4, Gene #785.
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 | Gene |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Probably from Old Irish 'cell' (church) combined with a diminutive suffix. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #702 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cillian has a recorded origin (Irish); Gene does not have one recorded yet.
- Cillian and Gene both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cillian; Gene doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Gene
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #326 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1972–2024
Highest recorded position: #255 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1978 (recorded 1972–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #702 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys