Catherina vs Lucy
Catherina and Lucycompared 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 2015, Catherina was ranked #5730 and Lucy #32 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1996, Catherina was ranked #534 and Lucy #88 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Catherina and Lucy over time
Catherina and Lucy appear together in 1 published list, across 32 years of shared records. Lucy held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Catherina in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Catherina reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Lucy 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
Catherina and Lucy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1964 to 1996, ending at #534 and #88.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1964–1996
Catherina held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lucy in 31.
Highest recorded here: Catherina #198 in 1974, Lucy #88 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Catherina #534, Lucy #88.
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 | Catherina | Lucy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈluː.si/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5730 (2015) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lucy has a recorded origin (Latin); Catherina does not have one recorded yet.
- Catherina has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Lucy.
- A meaning is recorded for Lucy; Catherina doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Catherina
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–1996
Highest recorded position: #198 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1974 (recorded 1964–1996).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2015
Most recently recorded at #5730 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015.
England and Wales · Girls
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls