| Lir | Cathal | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Sea | Strong in battle |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LEER | KAH-hal |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1998 |
| Peak year | 2023 (8) | 2000 (10) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lir | Cathal |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 19 | 0 |
| 2010s | 5 | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 | 29 |
| 1990s | 0 | 6 |
Lir (also Ler) is a sea deity in Irish mythology, father of the Children of Lir; the name is connected to an old Irish word for 'sea'. The cognate Welsh figure is Llyr.
Cathal joins the Irish words for “battle” and “rule,” “strong in battle.”
Lir and Cathal are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Lir means Sea (irish origin), while Cathal means Strong in battle (Irish origin).
In US records, Lir first appears in 0 and Cathal in 1998, so Lir has the longer recorded history.