Alanna vs Cait
Alanna 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, Alanna was ranked #152 and Cait #524 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alanna was ranked #253 and Cait #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Alanna was ranked #700 and Cait #5493 among girls in England and Wales.
Alanna and Cait over time
Alanna and Cait appear together in 3 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Alanna held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cait in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cait reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alanna 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
Alanna and Cait changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1973 and 2017, ending at #152 and #524.
- Longest-running competitions
Alanna and Cait were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 37 years, from 1973 to 2017, ending at #152 and #524.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 1973–2017
Alanna held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Cait in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alanna #66 in 2003, Cait #202 in 2000.
The order changed in 1990: Alanna moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #353 and #353; by 1990 that had become #303 and #321.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alanna #152, Cait #524.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2002–2024
Alanna held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Cait in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alanna #91 in 2007, Cait #178 in 2020.
The order changed in 2019: Cait moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #218 and #313; by 2019 that had become #263 and #213.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alanna #253, Cait #227.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2020
Alanna held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Cait in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alanna #435 in 2005, Cait #1234 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Alanna #700, 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 | Alanna | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #227 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alanna has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Cait.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alanna
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1973–2025
Highest recorded position: #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1973–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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