Cain vs Harvey
Cain and Harveycompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #1460 and Harvey #114 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #619 and Harvey #152 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #404 and Harvey #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Cain was ranked #676 and Harvey #252 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Cain and Harvey over time
Cain and Harvey appear together in 3 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Harvey held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cain 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.
Cain reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Harvey 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, Harvey moved ahead of Cain in Northern Ireland · Boys — #149 and #154 the year before became #149 and #117.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cain held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harvey in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cain #184 in 2001, Harvey #27 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cain #1460, Harvey #114.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2000–2024
Cain held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Harvey in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cain #149 in 2003, Harvey #76 in 2016.
The order changed in 2004: Harvey moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #149 and #154; by 2004 that had become #149 and #117.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cain #404, Harvey #154.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2000–2025
Cain held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Harvey in 20.
Highest recorded here: Cain #245 in 2003, Harvey #136 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cain #676, Harvey #252.
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 | Cain | Harvey |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #28 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cain has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Harvey.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Cain
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #288 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #149 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Harvey
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #28 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys