Abigail vs Cait
Abigail and Caitcompared 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, Abigail was ranked #62 and Cait #524 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #80 and Cait #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Abigail was ranked #87 and Cait #5493 among girls in England and Wales.
Abigail and Cait over time
Abigail and Cait appear together in 3 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cait in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cait reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Abigail in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Abigail and Cait changed places 10 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1969 and 2017, ending at #62 and #524.
- Longest-running competitions
Abigail and Cait were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 42 years, from 1969 to 2017, ending at #62 and #524.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls42 shared years, 1969–2017
Abigail held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Cait in 7.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Cait #202 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Abigail #62, Cait #524.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2002–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Cait in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #31 in 2008, Cait #178 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #80, Cait #227.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2020
Abigail held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Cait in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Cait #1234 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Abigail #87, Cait #5493.
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 | Abigail | Cait |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #227 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Cait.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Cait
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #178 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2002–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #227 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls