Catharina vs Iris
Catharina and Iriscompared 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 2019, Catharina was ranked #5591 and Iris #81 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2014, Catharina was ranked #549 and Iris #121 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1979, Catharina was ranked #523 and Iris #420 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Catharina and Iris over time
Catharina and Iris appear together in 1 published list, across 47 years of shared records. Iris held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Catharina in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Catharina reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Iris 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Catharina and Iris changed places 8 times in Norway · Girls between 1960 and 2014, ending at #549 and #121.
- Longest-running competitions
Catharina and Iris were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 47 years, from 1960 to 2014, ending at #549 and #121.
List by list
Norway · Girls47 shared years, 1960–2014
Catharina held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Iris in 43.
Highest recorded here: Catharina #238 in 1989, Iris #121 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Catharina #549, Iris #121.
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 | Catharina | Iris |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5591 (2019) | Norway · Girls #100 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Catharina has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Iris.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Catharina
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #460 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1960–2014
Highest recorded position: #238 among girls in Norway, in 1989 (recorded 1960–2014).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #5591 among girls in England and Wales, in 2019.
England and Wales · Girls
Iris
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #239 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #61 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #100 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls