Catherine vs Rae
Catherine and Raecompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Catherine was ranked #227 and Rae #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Catherine was ranked #260 and Rae #244 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Catherine was ranked #273 and Rae #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Catherine was ranked #594 and Rae #347 among girls in England and Wales.
Catherine and Rae over time
Catherine and Rae appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Catherine held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rae 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 Rae 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 · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Catherine held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Rae in 7.
Highest recorded here: Catherine #68 in 1996, Rae #282 in 2021.
The order changed in 2018: Rae moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #313 and #420; by 2018 that had become #419 and #314.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Catherine #594, Rae #347.
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 | Rae |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #273 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (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
- Catherine has 4 syllables, compared with 1 for Rae.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Rae
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #823 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls