Cate vs Marilyn
Cate and Marilyncompared 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 2017, Cate was ranked #873 and Marilyn #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Cate was ranked #4096 and Marilyn #2367 among girls in England and Wales.
Cate and Marilyn over time
Cate and Marilyn appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Cate held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Marilyn 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.
Cate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Marilyn 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 · Girls14 shared years, 2000–2016
Cate held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Marilyn in 5.
Highest recorded here: Cate #1269 in 2003, Marilyn #1628 in 2014.
The order changed in 2010: Marilyn moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #2326 and #3031; by 2010 that had become #3533 and #2843.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Cate #4096, Marilyn #2367.
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 | Cate | Marilyn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017) | England and Wales · Girls #1541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cate has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Marilyn.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cate
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2770 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2016
Highest recorded position: #316 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 2004–2016).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Marilyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #28 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 recorded1952–1956
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1956).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1541 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls