Cael
Cael is a name with a single cultural origin: Irish Mythology.
- Irish Mythology
Meaning & Origin of Cael
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cael is a name with a single cultural origin: Irish Mythology.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish Mythology
The Story of Cael
The earliest SSA record of Cael as a baby boy name dates back to 1989, when 8 babies received it. 2011 was its biggest year on record, with 272 newborns named Cael — #805 in the national rankings. About 49% of every Cael on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Cael ranks #2,538 for baby boys with 53 births, falling sharply (-17%). All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Cael
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cael is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cael
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About the name Cael
Cael is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Cael's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #777. Use the chart and map above to compare Cael's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.