Cillian vs Jaye
Cillian and Jayecompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2016, Cillian was ranked #380 and Jaye #4810 among boys in England and Wales.
Cillian and Jaye over time
Cillian and Jaye appear together in 1 published list, across 17 years of shared records. Cillian held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Jaye 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.
Jaye reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys17 shared years, 1996–2016
Cillian held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jaye in 8.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #380 in 2016, Jaye #750 in 1999.
The order changed in 2006: Cillian moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #3009 and #2578; by 2006 that had become #1084 and #3385.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Cillian #380, Jaye #4810.
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 | Jaye |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4810 (2016) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cillian has a recorded origin (Irish); Jaye does not have one recorded yet.
- Cillian has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jaye.
- A meaning is recorded for Cillian; Jaye doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Jaye
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #823 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2016
Most recently recorded at #4810 among boys in England and Wales, in 2016.
England and Wales · Boys