Cathal
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KA-hal
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,537 for boys
Big in Northern Ireland
Cathal is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “battle ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 1,537th for boys in the UK (18 babies).
What does Cathal mean?
Irish: from Old Irish cath, battle, and fal, rule
“battle ruler”
St Cathal of Taranto was a 7th-century Irish monk who became bishop of Taranto in southern Italy.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Cathal a girl's or a boy's name?
Cathal is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 18 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Cathal in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,537among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 18about 1 in 17,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 18% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 18 boys in the UK were named Cathal, making it the 1,537th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,462nd. Its busiest year was 1997, with 59 boys.
Half of all the boys named Cathal in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 762nd in Scotland and 149th in Northern Ireland.
Cathal in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 | #1,537 |
| 2024 | 16 | #1,664 |
| 2023 | 18 | #1,507 |
| 2022 | 16 | #1,639 |
| 2021 | 17 | #1,547 |
| 2020 | 18 | #1,462 |
| 2019 | 13 | #1,858 |
| 2018 | 13 | #1,902 |
| 2017 | 21 | #1,331 |
| 2016 | 23 | #1,268 |
| 2015 | 14 | #1,779 |
| 2014 | 27 | #1,106 |
| 2013 | 26 | #1,112 |
| 2012 | 25 | #1,166 |
| 2011 | 23 | #1,203 |
| 2010 | 25 | #1,149 |
| 2009 | 20 | #1,290 |
| 2008 | 32 | #933 |
| 2007 | 35 | #843 |
| 2006 | 25 | #1,008 |
| 2005 | 29 | #866 |
| 2004 | 36 | #724 |
| 2003 | 36 | #668 |
| 2002 | 25 | #821 |
| 2001 | 29 | #691 |
| 2000 | 37 | #578 |
| 1999 | 38 | #562 |
| 1998 | 41 | #525 |
| 1997 | 59 | #419 |
| 1996 | 6 | #1,840 |
Names like Cathal
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Connor Ryan Conall Declan Owen Daniel Nathan Cameron Michael Callum Adam Dylan
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Ronan Casey Kennedy Callan Lennon
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Cathal: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/cathal, updated 20 October 2026.