Barbara vs Cathy
Barbara and Cathycompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1965, Barbara was ranked #76 and Cathy #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Barbara was ranked #734 and Cathy #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Barbara was ranked #1031 and Cathy #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Cathy over time
Barbara and Cathy appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Barbara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cathy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathy 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barbara and Cathy changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2017, ending at #734 and #873.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Cathy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1964 to 2017, ending at #734 and #873.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Barbara #848 in 1996, Cathy #1755 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1964–2017
Barbara held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Cathy in 15.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #43 in 1964, Cathy #168 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Barbara #734, Cathy #873.
England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 1996–2016
Barbara held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Cathy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Cathy #1755 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Barbara #1031, Cathy #5785.
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 | Barbara | Cathy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cathy.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Cathy
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1960–1965
Highest recorded position: #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1960–1965).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls