Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2011

Cael

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,945 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#1,945
among boys · ↑404 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
79
named Cael · +32% vs 2024
How common
1 in 21,621
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2011
272 babies
All-time total
3,745
#2,198 all-time among boys
First recorded
1989
in Social Security records

Cael popularity over time

3,745 babies have been named Cael since 1989, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – 8 8 1 – #5,703
1990s – 55 55 6 +588% #3,496
2000s 8 1,828 1,836 184 +3238% #778
2010s 5 1,527 1,532 153 -17% #805
2020s (to 2025) – 314 314 52 -66% #1,945

Where Cael is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 80 0.05 outside top 500
2027 80 0.05 outside top 500
2028 81 0.05 outside top 500
2029 81 0.05 outside top 500
2030 81 0.05 outside top 500

The story of Cael

Cael is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,945 in 2025 with 79 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1989, 3,745 American babies have been named Cael. Its peak came in 2011, when 272 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cael stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cael?

The median living Cael is about 16 years old; half are between 12 and 19. An estimated 3,700 people named Cael are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cael year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 79 #1,945
2024 – – 60 #2,349
2023 – – 42 #2,959
2022 – – 38 #3,163
2021 – – 44 #2,828
2020 – – 51 #2,515
2019 – – 57 #2,370
2018 – – 73 #1,995
2017 – – 69 #2,036
2016 – – 92 #1,695
2015 – – 145 #1,248
2014 – – 173 #1,102
2013 – – 182 #1,052
2012 – – 212 #950
2011 – – 272 #805
2010 5 #17,521 252 #840
2009 – – 270 #817
2008 – – 263 #832
2007 8 #12,887 214 #925
2006 – – 206 #919
2005 – – 215 #854
2004 – – 175 #959
2003 – – 176 #933
2002 – – 222 #778
2001 – – 55 #1,961
2000 – – 32 #2,812
1995 – – – –
1990 – – 5 #8,281
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Cael

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Cael Sanderson Cael Sanderson American wrestler and coach (born 1979) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cael, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cael?

The median living Cael is about 16 years old. Half of all living Caels are between 12 and 19 years old.

How many people named Cael are alive today?

An estimated 3,700 people named Cael are alive in the United States, based on 3,745 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cael in 2025?

Cael ranked #1,945 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 79 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cael?

3,745 babies have been named Cael in the United States since 1989, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cael most popular?

Cael peaked in 2011, when 272 newborns received the name.

Is Cael a boy or girl name?

Cael is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cael rising or falling?

Cael is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cael become more popular?

Cael looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 81 boys named Cael in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Cael?

Well-known people named Cael include Cael Sanderson (wrestler).

Names like Cael

Names that sound and feel close to Cael: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cael with similar names → More names starting with C →