Faolan vs Kai
Faolan and Kaicompared 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 2024, Faolan was ranked #116 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Faolan was ranked #3254 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Faolan was ranked #336 and Kai #77 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Faolan and Kai over time
Faolan and Kai appear together in 3 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Kai held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Faolan 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.
Kai reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Faolan 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Faolan #283 in 2016, Kai #73 in 2014.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2017
Faolan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kai in 14.
Highest recorded here: Faolan #283 in 2016, Kai #73 in 2014.
The order changed in 2002: Kai moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #337 and #382; by 2002 that had become #451 and #226.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Faolan #336, Kai #77.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2006–2024
Faolan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 14.
Highest recorded here: Faolan #116 in 2024, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Faolan #116, Kai #69.
England and Wales · Boys12 shared years, 2003–2024
Faolan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kai in 12.
Highest recorded here: Faolan #2270 in 2012, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Faolan #3254, Kai #72.
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 | Faolan | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #116 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Faolan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Faolan
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2006–2024
Highest recorded position: #116 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2006–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3254 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Kai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #76 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2002–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys