Catherine vs Hedda
Catherine and Heddacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2018, Catherine was ranked #509 and Hedda #18 among girls in Norway.
Catherine and Hedda over time
Catherine and Hedda appear together in 1 published list, across 35 years of shared records. Hedda held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Catherine 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.
Catherine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Hedda 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
Catherine and Hedda changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1963 and 2018, ending at #509 and #18.
- Mirrored each other
Over 35 shared years in Norway · Girls, Hedda rose about as far as Catherine fell — from #317 and #460 in 1963 to #509 and #18 in 2018.
- Longest-running competitions
Catherine and Hedda were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 35 years, from 1963 to 2018, ending at #509 and #18.
List by list
Norway · Girls35 shared years, 1963–2018
Catherine held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Hedda in 25.
Highest recorded here: Catherine #196 in 1972, Hedda #16 in 2001.
The order changed in 1986: Hedda moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #304 and #355; by 1986 that had become #468 and #202.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Catherine #509, Hedda #18.
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 | Catherine | Hedda |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #273 (2025) | Norway · Girls #10 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Catherine has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Hedda.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Catherine
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #366 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Hedda
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #460 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1963–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1963–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls