Caitlin vs Ffion
Caitlin and Ffioncompared 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 · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #610 and Ffion #467 among girls in England and Wales.
Caitlin and Ffion over time
Caitlin and Ffion appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Caitlin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ffion 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.
Ffion reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Caitlin 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 · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Caitlin held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ffion in 6.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #21 in 2001, Ffion #148 in 1998.
The order changed in 2019: Ffion moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #306 and #330; by 2019 that had become #458 and #338.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caitlin #610, Ffion #467.
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 | Caitlin | Ffion |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of Caitlín, itself a cognate of Katherine/Catalina traditions across Europe. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪt.lɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #247 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #467 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caitlin has a recorded origin (Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family); Ffion does not have one recorded yet.
- Caitlin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ffion.
- A meaning is recorded for Caitlin; Ffion doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Caitlin
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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2002 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Ffion
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #209 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #148 among girls in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #467 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls