Alyssa vs Cate

Alyssa and Catecompared 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 2016, Alyssa was ranked #137 and Cate #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Alyssa was ranked #198 and Cate #4096 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Alyssa was ranked #219 and Cate #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Alyssa and Cate over time

Alyssa and Cate appear together in 2 published lists, across 29 years of shared records. Alyssa held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cate 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.

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 England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alyssa #144 in 2004, Cate #1165 in 2005.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls16 shared years, 1999–2016
Alyssa held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Cate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #144 in 2004, Cate #1165 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Alyssa #198, Cate #4096.
Republic of Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 2002–2017
Alyssa held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Cate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alyssa #172 in 2015, Cate #374 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alyssa #219, Cate #873.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alyssa

Pairs where Alyssa shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Chloe vs Alyssa
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Chloe #1 in 2006, Alyssa #25 in 2004.
Chloe · Alyssa · 23 shared years, 1990–2019 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2006 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Emma vs Alyssa
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Emma #1 in 2003, Alyssa #37 in 2003.
Emma · Alyssa · 15 shared years, 1999–2013 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2003 New Zealand ranking
Lara vs Alyssa
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lara and Alyssa averaged 6.5 places apart, ending at #68 and #75.
Lara · Alyssa · 21 shared years, 1999–2019 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2019 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Madison vs Alyssa
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Madison and Alyssa averaged 12.8 places apart, ending at #89 and #82.
Madison · Alyssa · 20 shared years, 1999–2018 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2018 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alyssa, Cate
Field	Alyssa	Cate
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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017)
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

Alyssa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cate.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Alyssa

Popularity journey

First recorded1990
First recorded at #90 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2019
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2004 (recorded 1990–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

Cate

Popularity journey

First recorded1999
First recorded at #2770 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2016
Highest recorded position: #316 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 2004–2016).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls