Total births
40
Boys' name · since 1998
Cathal
40 babies named Cathal in U.S. Social Security records since 1998, with the highest year being 2000. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 40
- total births
- 1998–2015
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 73%
- born in that decade
Cathal is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 40 have been recorded since 1998.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cathal has been recorded 40 times among boys since 1998, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1998 to 2015.
- 40 total births
- 1998–2015 years on record
- 2000s peak decade
- 73% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
40 boys have been named Cathal since 1998, peaking in the 2000s, last recorded in 2015.
- 40
- total births
- 1998–2015
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 73%
- born in that decade
2000s
Peak decade
73% of everyone ever named Cathal was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
10 babies were named Cathal in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
Cathal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cathal splits its recorded history at 2004: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2007 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cathal at a glance
Last recorded 2015Peak year
2000
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1998
Cathal popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1998–2015
- Peak year (2000)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 18 years of records
Cathal by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cathal's strongest decade.
29 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 73% of all-time use.
Cathal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s
2000s
29 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 29 births (73% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cathal? ▼
Since 1998, Social Security records show 40 babies named Cathal. The most recent recorded year was 2015. Its busiest year on record was 2000, with 10 births.
When was Cathal most popular? ▼
Cathal was most popular in the 2000s decade with 29 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
How long has the name Cathal been used? ▼
Cathal has been recorded in Social Security data since 1998, spanning 18 years of data through 2015.
What names are similar to Cathal? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Catherine, Catarino, Cato, Catlin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cathal's data
- Cathal's decade-level peak was the 2000s (29 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cathal
Nearby Names Like Cathal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cathal
Catherine Boy
1,822 births
Catarino Boy
#7281 1,690 births
Cato Boy
#3047 675 births
Catlin Boy
446 births
Cathy Boy
343 births
Compare Cathal side by side: Cathal vs Catherine Cathal vs Catarino Cathal vs Cato
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1998–2015 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cathal: Baby Name Since 1998 - 40 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cathal. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cathal draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.