Alison vs Cathleen
Alison and Cathleencompared 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 1990, Alison was ranked #38 and Cathleen #446 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2015, Alison was ranked #1362 and Cathleen #5730 among girls in England and Wales.
Alison and Cathleen over time
Alison and Cathleen appear together in 2 published lists, across 23 years of shared records. Alison held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cathleen in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1965–1990
Alison held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Cathleen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #38 in 1990, Cathleen #262 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Alison #38, Cathleen #446.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1996–2015
Alison held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Cathleen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alison #225 in 1996, Cathleen #3247 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Alison #1362, Cathleen #5730.
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 | Cathleen |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5730 (2015) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alison has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cathleen.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Cathleen
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #262 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1965–1990
Highest recorded position: #262 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1965–1990).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2015
Most recently recorded at #5730 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015.
England and Wales · Girls