Namewise

Abigail vs Clodagh

Abigail and Clodaghcompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Abigail was ranked #80 and Clodagh #20 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Clodagh #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Abigail was ranked #102 and Clodagh #431 among girls in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Clodagh #1036 among girls in England and Wales.

Abigail and Clodagh over time

Abigail and Clodagh appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Clodagh in 1.

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.

Abigail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Clodagh 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2018, Clodagh moved ahead of Abigail in Northern Ireland · Girls — #48 and #50 the year before became #46 and #44.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Abigail and Clodagh changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1969 and 2025, ending at #115 and #47.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Abigail and Clodagh averaged 23.4 places apart, ending at #80 and #20.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Abigail and Clodagh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #115 and #47.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Abigail #36 in 2008, Clodagh #34 in 2009.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 19692025

    Abigail held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Clodagh in 52.

    Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Clodagh #34 in 2009.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Clodagh #47.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 19962024

    Abigail held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Clodagh in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Clodagh #897 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Clodagh #1036.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 19972024

    Abigail held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Clodagh in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Abigail #29 in 2005, Clodagh #20 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2018: Clodagh moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #48 and #50; by 2018 that had become #46 and #44.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #80, Clodagh #20.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Abigail, Clodagh
FieldAbigailClodagh
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedA place-derived name, taken from the River Clodiagh in County Waterford, rather than from a traditional Irish word root. Popularised as a personal name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford.
OriginNot yet recordedIrish
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈkloʊdə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #47 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded65/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10074/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Clodagh has a recorded origin (Irish); Abigail does not have one recorded yet.
  • Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Clodagh.
  • A meaning is recorded for Clodagh; Abigail doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Abigail

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Clodagh

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #149 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls