Cillian vs Tao
Cillian and Taocompared 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 2025, Cillian was ranked #217 and Tao #2952 among boys in England and Wales.
Cillian and Tao over time
Cillian and Tao appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Cillian held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Tao 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.
Tao 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.
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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Cillian rose about as far as Tao fell — from #2943 and #1850 in 1999 to #217 and #2952 in 2025.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Cillian #177 in 2024, Tao #1701 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2025
Cillian held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Tao in 3.
Highest recorded here: Cillian #177 in 2024, Tao #1701 in 2023.
The order changed in 2005: Cillian moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #3009 and #2304; by 2005 that had become #1190 and #1991.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cillian #217, Tao #2952.
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 | Tao |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2952 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cillian has a recorded origin (Irish); Tao does not have one recorded yet.
- Cillian has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tao.
- A meaning is recorded for Cillian; Tao doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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 #217 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Tao
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #1850 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2025
Highest recorded position: #1701 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1999–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2952 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys