Pronunciation
Kale
Meaning
Slender
Alternate spellings
Cael; Cáel ua Némainn
Fun fact
Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd in Irish legend. His name comes from an old word meaning slender, which became caol in modern Irish. So there's a connection with the name Caolán too.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Cáel, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Babies named in 2025Less than 3No published ranking
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2024 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2023 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2022 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2021 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2020 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2019 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2018 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2017 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2016 | 4 | #601 |
| 2015 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2014 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2013 | 5 | #534 |
| 2012 | 5 | #548 |
| 2011 | 4 | #623 |
| 2010 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2009 | 5 | #532 |
| 2008 | 6 | #472 |
| 2007 | 3 | #629 |
| 2006 | 5 | #423 |
| 2005 | 6 | #370 |
| 2004 | 5 | #390 |
| 2003 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2002 | 3 | #451 |
| 2001 | 5 | #317 |
| 2000 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1999 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1998 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1997 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1996 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1995 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1994 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1993 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1992 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1991 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1990 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1989 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1988 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1987 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1986 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1985 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1984 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1983 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1982 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1981 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1980 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1979 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1978 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1977 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1976 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1975 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1974 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1973 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1972 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1971 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1970 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1969 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1968 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1967 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1966 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1965 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1964 | Less than 3 | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.
