Cailin vs Charlene
Cailin and Charlenecompared 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 2003, Cailin was ranked #331 and Charlene #248 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Cailin was ranked #752 and Charlene #876 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Cailin was ranked #5493 and Charlene #1939 among girls in England and Wales.
Cailin and Charlene over time
Cailin and Charlene appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Charlene held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cailin in 0.
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.
Charlene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Cailin 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 · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2020
Cailin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Charlene in 20.
Highest recorded here: Cailin #1372 in 2002, Charlene #410 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Cailin #5493, Charlene #1939.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1977–2014
Cailin held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Charlene in 12.
Highest recorded here: Cailin #356 in 1996, Charlene #80 in 1989.
The order changed in 2014: Cailin moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #798 and #798; by 2014 that had become #752 and #876.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Cailin #752, Charlene #876.
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 | Cailin | Charlene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #5493 (2020) | England and Wales · Girls #2278 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cailin has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Charlene.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cailin
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2018
Highest recorded position: #213 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2018).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #5493 among girls in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Girls
Charlene
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #497 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–2015
Highest recorded position: #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1988 (recorded 1976–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2278 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls