Abby vs Cailin
Abby and Cailincompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Abby was ranked #241 and Cailin #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Abby was ranked #434 and Cailin #434 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Abby was ranked #1267 and Cailin #5493 among girls in England and Wales.
Abby and Cailin over time
Abby and Cailin appear together in 3 published lists, across 46 years of shared records. Abby held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cailin in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cailin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Abby in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Abby #100 in 2002, Cailin #1372 in 2002.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2020
Abby held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Cailin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abby #100 in 2002, Cailin #1372 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Abby #1267, Cailin #5493.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1994–2017
Abby held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Cailin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abby #60 in 2003, Cailin #356 in 1996.
The order changed in 1995: Abby moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #450 and #450; by 1995 that had become #352 and #516.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Abby #241, Cailin #734.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1997–2018
Abby held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Cailin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abby #62 in 2003, Cailin #213 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Abby #434, Cailin #434.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abby | Cailin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5493 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abby and Cailin both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Abby
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #446 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1990–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Cailin
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2018
Highest recorded position: #213 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2018).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #5493 among girls in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Girls