NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Cael

Meaning "slender" or "lean" and of Gaelic origin.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Cael is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Cael popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3011, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 14 births.

This profile covers 151 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1997 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 193 living people in the UK are called Cael. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Cael ranked #3011 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2007, when 14 boys were registered as Cael.
  • Cael ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
  • About 193 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cael as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3011

2018

Births in 2018

6

Latest year

Peak year

2007

14 births

Estimated living

193

2026

Meaning

What does Cael mean?

The name Cael has its origins in the Gaelic language, which was spoken by the ancient Celts who inhabited parts of Western Europe, including Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The name is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "caol," which means "slender" or "narrow."

In the early medieval period, the name Cael was particularly popular among Irish and Scottish communities. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a person named Cael is mentioned in the 7th century.

The name Cael also appears in some ancient Irish legends and folklore. In the Irish mythological cycle, the Fenian Cycle, there is a character named Cael mac Crimthainn, who was a warrior and member of the legendary band of heroes known as the Fianna.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Cael. One of the earliest recorded was Cael Ua Ferghail (fl. 1020-1030), an Irish Christian scholar and scribe who lived in the 11th century. Another notable figure was Cael Og O'Doran (c. 1180-1250), an Irish poet and historian from the 13th century.

In the 16th century, there was a Scottish nobleman named Cael Campbell (1541-1597), who was a member of the influential Campbell clan and served as a judge in the court of King James VI of Scotland.

During the 17th century, Cael O'Shaughnessy (1620-1690) was an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Ireland and the Irish language.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the name Cael was Cael Byrne (1917-2008), an Irish actor and television personality who had a long career in British and Irish television and film.

While the name Cael has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, where it is often seen as a unique and distinctive name with a rich cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cael over time

The chart below shows babies named Cael registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Cael, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2018, compared with 14 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Cael
0471114199720072018

Decades

Cael by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cael was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #2570 65 8
2000s #2076 79 10
1990s #2640 7 2

Geography

Where Cael is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cael. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Cael ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.

Northern Ireland
4
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Cael in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#686 in 2015

7 years of NRS records, 26 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#339 in 2024

5 years of NISRA records, 17 total registered

Related

Names similar to Cael

FAQ

Cael: questions and answers

How popular is the name Cael in the UK right now?

In 2018, Cael was ranked #3011 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Cael most popular?

The peak year on record was 2007, with 14 babies registered as Cael in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cael?

Meaning "slender" or "lean" and of Gaelic origin.

How many people are called Cael in the UK?

A total of 151 babies have been registered as Cael across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 26 more in Scotland and 17 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Cael most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Cael ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #339 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.