Cathal: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Cathal is an Irish boy's name meaning “great warrior.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Great warrior
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Charles
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 90 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Cathal?
Cathal is pronounced KA-hal. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. Other spellings: Cahal.
What does Cathal mean?
From cath “battle” and all “mighty” and signifies “a great warrior.” On his way home from a visit to Rome (c. 666 AD) St. Cathal was asked to fill the vacant see of Taranto in southern Italy and served as it’s prelate until his death. Known as St. Cathaldus, he is still venerated in the area and a fresh water stream in the bay is known as “l’annello di san Cathaldo,” “the ring of St. Cathaldus,” as it marks the place where he is believed to have stilled a storm by throwing his ring into the water. He was the patron saint of the Italian army during WWI. One of the most common names in Ireland in the Middle Ages, it is popular again in Ireland.
How popular is Cathal in Ireland?
In 2025, 64 baby boys in Ireland were named Cathal, which made it No. 90 that year. That's down from No. 66 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2005, when 226 baby boys were named Cathal, No. 31 that year. The most babies got the name in 1997: 243. The records go back to 1964, when 32 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64 | No. 90 (Cathal) |
| 2024 | 67 | No. 88 (Cathal) |
| 2023 | 78 | No. 75 (Cathal) |
| 2022 | 92 | No. 73 (Cathal) |
| 2021 | 71 | No. 89 (Cathal) |
| 2020 | 98 | No. 68 (Cathal) |
| 2019 | 107 | No. 61 (Cathal) |
| 2018 | 113 | No. 60 (Cathal) |
| 2017 | 114 | No. 61 (Cathal) |
| 2016 | 116 | No. 65 (Cathal) |
| 2015 | 118 | No. 66 (Cathal) |
| 2014 | 121 | No. 69 (Cathal) |
| 2013 | 156 | No. 54 (Cathal) |
| 2012 | 160 | No. 56 (Cathal) |
| 2011 | 208 | No. 44 (Cathal) |
| 2010 | 202 | No. 42 (Cathal) |
| 2009 | 195 | No. 47 (Cathal) |
| 2008 | 233 | No. 36 (Cathal) |
| 2007 | 210 | No. 38 (Cathal) |
| 2006 | 219 | No. 35 (Cathal) |
| 2005 | 226 | No. 31 (Cathal) |
| 2004 | 209 | No. 34 (Cathal) |
| 2003 | 170 | No. 39 (Cathal) |
| 2002 | 179 | No. 38 (Cathal) |
| 2001 | 198 | No. 38 (Cathal) |
| 2000 | 207 | No. 35 (Cathal) |
| 1999 | 162 | No. 42 (Cathal) |
| 1998 | 195 | No. 31 (Cathal) |
| 1997 | 243 | No. 37 (Cathal) |
| 1996 | 197 | No. 43 (Cathal) |
| 1995 | 164 | No. 46 (Cathal) |
| 1994 | 145 | No. 51 (Cathal) |
| 1993 | 173 | No. 47 (Cathal) |
| 1992 | 155 | No. 55 (Cathal) |
| 1991 | 155 | No. 52 (Cathal) |
| 1990 | 142 | No. 56 (Cathal) |
| 1989 | 128 | No. 59 (Cathal) |
| 1988 | 123 | No. 61 (Cathal) |
| 1987 | 145 | No. 54 (Cathal) |
| 1986 | 116 | No. 66 (Cathal) |
| 1985 | 126 | No. 59 (Cathal) |
| 1984 | 134 | No. 63 (Cathal) |
| 1983 | 123 | No. 65 (Cathal) |
| 1982 | 134 | No. 66 (Cathal) |
| 1981 | 115 | No. 74 (Cathal) |
| 1980 | 135 | No. 67 (Cathal) |
| 1979 | 156 | No. 60 (Cathal) |
| 1978 | 112 | No. 71 (Cathal) |
| 1977 | 119 | No. 72 (Cathal) |
| 1976 | 103 | No. 74 (Cathal) |
| 1975 | 123 | No. 68 (Cathal) |
| 1974 | 108 | No. 69 (Cathal) |
| 1973 | 114 | No. 70 (Cathal) |
| 1972 | 119 | No. 67 (Cathal) |
| 1971 | 90 | No. 80 (Cathal) |
| 1970 | 68 | No. 90 (Cathal) |
| 1969 | 73 | No. 82 (Cathal) |
| 1968 | 54 | No. 86 (Cathal) |
| 1967 | 58 | No. 82 (Cathal) |
| 1966 | 55 | No. 85 (Cathal) |
| 1965 | 31 | No. 105 (Cathal) |
| 1964 | 32 | No. 96 (Cathal) |
Cathal in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Cathal, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- AAilm, pine
- TTinne, holly
- HUath, hawthorn
- AAilm, pine
- LLuis, rowan
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Cathal
Questions about Cathal
- How do you pronounce Cathal?
- Cathal is pronounced KA-hal. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Cathal mean?
- Cathal means “great warrior.”
- Is Cathal a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Cathal is a boy's name.
- What is Cathal in English?
- The English form of Cathal is Charles.
- How popular is Cathal in Ireland?
- In 2025, Cathal was No. 90 for boys in Ireland, with 64 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2005, at No. 31.