Cathrin vs Jennifer
Cathrin and Jennifercompared 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 1995, Cathrin was ranked #622 and Jennifer #235 among girls in Norway.
Cathrin and Jennifer over time
Cathrin and Jennifer appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Jennifer held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathrin 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.
Cathrin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jennifer 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
Cathrin and Jennifer changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1963 and 1995, ending at #622 and #235.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Norway · Girls, Jennifer rose about as far as Cathrin fell — from #386 and #506 in 1963 to #622 and #235 in 1995.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1963–1995
Cathrin held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jennifer in 20.
Highest recorded here: Cathrin #229 in 1971, Jennifer #192 in 1985.
The order changed in 1977: Jennifer moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #267 and #282; by 1977 that had become #366 and #266.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Cathrin #622, Jennifer #235.
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 | Cathrin | Jennifer |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From a Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), combining 'gwyn' and 'hwyfar'. Confined mainly to Cornwall until George Bernard Shaw's 1906 play The Doctor's Dilemma sparked wider adoption. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Welsh, via Cornish transmission |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.fəɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #622 (1995) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jennifer has a recorded origin (Welsh, via Cornish transmission); Cathrin does not have one recorded yet.
- Cathrin has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jennifer.
- A meaning is recorded for Jennifer; Cathrin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Cathrin
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #386 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1963–1995
Highest recorded position: #229 among girls in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1963–1995).
Norway · Girls
Most recent1995
Most recently recorded at #622 among girls in Norway, in 1995.
Norway · Girls
Jennifer
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #331 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–2003
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1956 (recorded 1952–2003).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls