Caoimhe vs Rowena
Caoimhe and Rowenacompared 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 2011, Caoimhe was ranked #14 and Rowena #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Caoimhe was ranked #1110 and Rowena #3035 among girls in England and Wales.
Caoimhe and Rowena over time
Caoimhe and Rowena appear together in 2 published lists, across 55 years of shared records. Caoimhe held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rowena in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rowena reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Caoimhe 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Caoimhe and Rowena were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1110 and #3035.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Caoimhe held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Rowena in 4.
Highest recorded here: Caoimhe #639 in 2013, Rowena #571 in 1997.
The order changed in 2001: Caoimhe moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #993 and #993; by 2001 that had become #1063 and #1107.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caoimhe #1110, Rowena #3035.
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1970–2011
Caoimhe held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Rowena in 3.
Highest recorded here: Caoimhe #14 in 2011, Rowena #245 in 1974.
The order changed in 1975: Caoimhe moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #249 and #245; by 1975 that had become #262 and #282.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Caoimhe #14, Rowena #937.
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 | Rowena |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #31 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3035 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caoimhe has a recorded origin (Irish); Rowena does not have one recorded yet.
- Caoimhe has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Rowena.
- A meaning is recorded for Caoimhe; Rowena doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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 #1110 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Rowena
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #357 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2011
Highest recorded position: #245 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1974 (recorded 1968–2011).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3035 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls