Cait vs Molly
Cait and Mollycompared 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 2024, Cait was ranked #227 and Molly #28 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Cait was ranked #524 and Molly #32 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Cait was ranked #5493 and Molly #54 among girls in England and Wales.
Cait and Molly over time
Cait and Molly appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Molly held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cait 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.
Cait reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Molly in 1. 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
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1989–2017
Cait held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Molly in 26.
Highest recorded here: Cait #202 in 2000, Molly #23 in 2007.
The order changed in 1991: Molly moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #353 and #408; by 1991 that had become #423 and #273.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Cait #524, Molly #32.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2002–2024
Cait held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Molly in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cait #178 in 2020, Molly #18 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cait #227, Molly #28.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2020
Cait held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Molly in 15.
Highest recorded here: Cait #1234 in 1997, Molly #15 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Cait #5493, Molly #54.
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 | Cait | Molly |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #227 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #20 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cait has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Molly.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cait
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #178 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2002–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #227 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Molly
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #408 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2001 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #217 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls