Caoimhe vs Holly
Caoimhe and Hollycompared 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 2025, Caoimhe was ranked #31 and Holly #69 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Caoimhe was ranked #70 and Holly #105 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Caoimhe was ranked #275 and Holly #79 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Caoimhe was ranked #1302 and Holly #137 among girls in England and Wales.
Caoimhe and Holly over time
Caoimhe and Holly appear together in 3 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Holly held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Caoimhe in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Caoimhe and Holly changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #70 and #105.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Caoimhe and Holly averaged 12.0 places apart, ending at #70 and #105.
- Longest-running competitions
Caoimhe and Holly were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #31 and #69.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Caoimhe #25 in 2003, Holly #22 in 2003.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1976–2025
Caoimhe held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Holly in 3.
Highest recorded here: Caoimhe #12 in 2003, Holly #11 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caoimhe #31, Holly #69.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Caoimhe held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Holly in 29.
Highest recorded here: Caoimhe #639 in 2013, Holly #12 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caoimhe #1302, Holly #137.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Caoimhe held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Holly in 16.
Highest recorded here: Caoimhe #25 in 2003, Holly #22 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caoimhe #70, Holly #105.
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 | Caoimhe | Holly |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'dear', 'beloved', or 'gentle', from the Irish word caomh. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkiːvʲə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 · Girls #31 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caoimhe has a recorded origin (Irish); Holly does not have one recorded yet.
- Caoimhe and Holly both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Caoimhe; Holly doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Caoimhe
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1966–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Holly
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #392 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–2025
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1976–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls