Cashel

Today's name: Cashel

Pronunciation: CASH-ell, KAH-hal, or CASH-ill

Potential nicknames: Cash, Cass, Cashy, Shel, Shelly, Ash

Origin: Irish, meaning "castle," "fortress," or "stone fort." In Ireland it is often spelled Cashlin or Caislin. It is also the name of a town in Tipperarry, Ireland. The German placename Cassel also means "fortress."

The picture above, from http://yannatry.blogspot.com/, is a picture of the Rock of Cashel, also known as St. Patrick's Rock and the Cashel of Kings, located in Tipperarry. It is a historic site built between the 12th and 13th centuries, known for being the traditional seat for the Kings of Munster before the Normans invaded. Some believe that this is where St. Patrick converted the King of Munster.

Popularity: Although never breaking into the top 1000, in 2009 there were 21 baby boys named Cashel in the U.S., in 2010 there were only 7, and in 2011 there were 18. There were also 17 baby boys named Castle. In 2011 there were still 18 boys named Cashel, and 17 named Castle.

Fun fact: (1) The name of Daniel Day Lewis's son. (2) A novel called "Cashel Byron's Profession," by George Bernard Shaw. Cashel, the main character, is a prizefighter.

Female version: Though not recognized as a feminine variant of Cashel, both Cashele and Cashelle (both pronounced CASH-elle) have been given to baby girls very rarely. There were none of either born in 2010.

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