boy's name
Cailean
- Gender Boy
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (Scotland)
- Births on record 551
Northern Ireland
#462
2022 births
Cailean is a boy's name. In 2014 it was given to 6 babies in the United States. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
- Peaked in Scotland in 2008, when 19 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in Scotland.
- Today about 1 in 6,355 babies in Scotland is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1984.
Cailean over time
Births per decade in Scotland, 1980s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2024, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 10 |
| 1990s | 49 |
| 2000s | 111 |
| 2010s | 111 |
| 2020s (to 2024) | 59 |
How popular is Cailean?
In 2024, Cailean was given to 6 babies in Scotland, ranking #498 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Cailean is used
Figures for Scotland withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Cailean
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Cailean also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Cailean over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Cailean
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Cailean — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Cailean
How popular is the name Cailean?
In 2024, Cailean was given to 6 babies in Scotland, ranking #498 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Cailean a girl's or a boy's name?
Cailean is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
When was Cailean most popular?
Cailean peaked in 2008, when 19 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Cailean a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Cailean currently ranks #498 in Scotland. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.