Bridget vs Kathleen
Bridget and Kathleencompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Bridget was ranked #84 and Kathleen #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Bridget was ranked #213 and Kathleen #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Bridget was ranked #407 and Kathleen #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bridget was ranked #1007 and Kathleen #1036 among girls in England and Wales.
Bridget and Kathleen over time
Bridget and Kathleen appear together in 3 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. Kathleen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Bridget in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kathleen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Bridget 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
Bridget and Kathleen changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1007 and #1036.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Bridget and Kathleen averaged 27.0 places apart, ending at #213 and #352.
- Longest-running competitions
Bridget and Kathleen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #213 and #352.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Bridget #444 in 1998, Kathleen #227 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Bridget held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Kathleen in 28.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #7 in 1967, Kathleen #18 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bridget #213, Kathleen #352.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bridget held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kathleen in 19.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #444 in 1998, Kathleen #227 in 1996.
The order changed in 2021: Bridget moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #992 and #807; by 2021 that had become #709 and #983.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bridget #1007, Kathleen #1036.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1998–2024
Bridget held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kathleen in 7.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #282 in 2009, Kathleen #129 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bridget #407, Kathleen #407.
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 | Bridget | Kathleen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of the Irish Brighid, with roots in old Celtic 'Brigantī' ('the exalted one'). In Irish mythology, Brighid was a goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom; the name is also associated with Saint Brigid of Kildare, Ireland's patron saint, and with the Scandinavian Birgitta (Saint Birgitta of Sweden). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Celtic (Irish) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bridget has a recorded origin (Celtic (Irish)); Kathleen does not have one recorded yet.
- Bridget and Kathleen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Bridget; Kathleen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Bridget
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Kathleen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #29 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls