Cain vs Kingsley
Cain and Kingsleycompared 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 · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #404 and Kingsley #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #1460 and Kingsley #369 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cain was ranked #619 and Kingsley #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Cain was ranked #713 and Kingsley #713 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Cain and Kingsley over time
Cain and Kingsley appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Cain held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kingsley 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.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cain held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Kingsley in 11.
Highest recorded here: Cain #184 in 2001, Kingsley #274 in 2019.
The order changed in 2014: Kingsley moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #520 and #637; by 2014 that had become #583 and #550.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cain #1460, Kingsley #369.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2002–2016
Cain held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Kingsley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cain #245 in 2003, Kingsley #393 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Cain #713, Kingsley #713.
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 | Kingsley |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #305 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cain has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Kingsley.
- 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
Kingsley
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #605 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2014–2024
Highest recorded position: #270 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2014–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #369 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys