Caitlin vs Janette
Caitlin and Janettecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1995, Caitlin was ranked #141 and Janette #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2019, Caitlin was ranked #458 and Janette #5591 among girls in England and Wales.
Caitlin and Janette over time
Caitlin and Janette appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Janette held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Caitlin 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.
Janette 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.
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 1994, Caitlin moved ahead of Janette in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #391 and #391 the year before became #171 and #374.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1967–1995
Caitlin held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Janette in 12.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #141 in 1995, Janette #205 in 1967.
The order changed in 1994: Caitlin moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #391 and #391; by 1994 that had become #171 and #374.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Caitlin #141, Janette #417.
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 | Janette |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #247 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5591 (2019) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caitlin has a recorded origin (Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family); Janette does not have one recorded yet.
- Caitlin has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Janette.
- A meaning is recorded for Caitlin; Janette doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
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
Janette
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #66 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1962
Highest recorded position: #58 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1962).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #5591 among girls in England and Wales, in 2019.
England and Wales · Girls