Alison vs Caithlin
Alison and Caithlincompared 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 2010, Alison was ranked #115 and Caithlin #758 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2002, Alison was ranked #252 and Caithlin #339 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2000, Alison was ranked #422 and Caithlin #3912 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Caithlin over time
Alison and Caithlin appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Caithlin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alison reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Caithlin 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 Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Alison #45 in 1998, Caithlin #294 in 1999.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2010
Alison held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Caithlin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #45 in 1998, Caithlin #294 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Alison #115, Caithlin #758.
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 | Alison | Caithlin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #758 (2010) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Caithlin.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alison
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #76 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1996
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1979 (recorded 1952–1996).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Caithlin
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #440 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2006
Highest recorded position: #293 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1998–2006).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2010
Most recently recorded at #758 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2010.
Republic of Ireland · Girls