Cáit
Say it: KAWCH/kɑːtʲ/
GirlIrishMeans the Irish form of Kate4 letters1 syllable
#226
in Ireland (2025)
#229 with spellings combined
19
babies in 2025
#202
best rank (2000)
416
babies since 1967
Up 204
10-year rank change
Cáit through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #229 |
| 2024 | 8 | #433 |
| 2023 | 10 | #358 |
| 2022 | 7 | #497 |
| 2021 | 10 | #389 |
| 2020 | 5 | #611 |
| 2019 | 6 | #546 |
| 2018 | 6 | #556 |
| 2017 | 7 | #524 |
| 2016 | 6 | #588 |
| 2015 | 10 | #433 |
| 2014 | 9 | #462 |
| 2013 | 11 | #401 |
| 2012 | 14 | #355 |
| 2011 | 9 | #470 |
| 2010 | 11 | #423 |
| 2009 | 7 | #540 |
| 2008 | 8 | #504 |
| 2007 | 4 | #704 |
| 2006 | 11 | #346 |
| 2005 | 9 | #372 |
| 2004 | 12 | #287 |
| 2003 | 5 | #490 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 2001 | 7 | #369 |
| 2000 | 17 | #202 |
| 1999 | 7 | #323 |
| 1998 | 8 | #293 |
| 1997 | 14 | #263 |
| 1996 | 9 | #316 |
| 1995 | 4 | #451 |
| 1993 | 15 | #242 |
| 1992 | 11 | #291 |
| 1991 | 5 | #423 |
| 1990 | 9 | #321 |
| 1989 | 7 | #353 |
| 1988 | 8 | #344 |
| 1987 | 6 | #386 |
| 1986 | 4 | #458 |
| 1985 | 7 | #362 |
| 1984 | 9 | #320 |
| 1983 | 6 | #401 |
| 1982 | 3 | #523 |
| 1979 | 8 | #346 |
| 1978 | 6 | #388 |
| 1977 | 4 | #468 |
| 1976 | 5 | #392 |
| 1975 | 8 | #321 |
| 1973 | 5 | #402 |
| 1972 | 3 | #471 |
| 1971 | 3 | #466 |
| 1970 | 4 | #396 |
| 1969 | 3 | #443 |
| 1967 | 3 | #393 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Cáit mean?
The Irish form of Kate
Irish, a short form of Caitríona (Catherine).
Say it right
KAWCH
The slender "t" at the end is softened, somewhere between "t" and "ch". Some say KAWT.
Not:KATEKITE
The story of Cáit
Cáit is the Irish equivalent of Kate. It is a short form of Caitríona, the Irish Catherine, in the same way that Kate is short for Catherine in English. The fada on the á gives it a long “aw” sound, and the final t is soft.
Catherine goes back to the Greek name Aikaterine, whose origin is uncertain. It came into Irish as Caitríona, and Cáit is its everyday short form.
The CSO records only show fadas from 2018, so earlier babies all appear as Cait, and the two spellings are counted separately. Together they have been given since the late 1960s, usually to fewer than 20 girls a year. 2025 was its biggest year so far, with 19 girls, all spelled Cáit.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Cáit (Irish proper noun)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Cáit | 19 | 71 |
| Cait | under 3 | 345 |
In Northern Ireland
#259 in 2025 with 6 babies. Best rank #178 (2020); 114 babies since 2002.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.