Alyson vs Cathryn
Alyson and Cathryncompared 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 1989, Alyson was ranked #300 and Cathryn #445 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Alyson was ranked #344 and Cathryn #344 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2013, Alyson was ranked #5742 and Cathryn #5742 among girls in England and Wales.
Alyson and Cathryn over time
Alyson and Cathryn appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Cathryn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Alyson in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alyson reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathryn 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1996–2013
Alyson held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cathryn in 10.
Highest recorded here: Alyson #1755 in 1996, Cathryn #1195 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Alyson #5742, Cathryn #5742.
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 | Alyson | Cathryn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4709 (2023) | England and Wales · Girls #5765 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alyson has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cathryn.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alyson
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2021
Highest recorded position: #300 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1968–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4709 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls
Cathryn
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #466 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–1999
Highest recorded position: #344 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1998–1999).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #5765 among girls in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Girls