Cael is an Irish name from the Gaelic caol and means "slender"; in Irish legend Cael was a warrior of the Fianna. Wrestler Cael Sanderson, who went undefeated in college and won Olympic gold in 2004, drew American attention to the name in the early 2000s. Cael entered the US top 1000 in 2002 at its peak of number 778, dropped out again in the 2010s and ranks number 1945 in 2025.