Cathrine vs Selma
Cathrine and Selmacompared 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 2020, Cathrine was ranked #478 and Selma #9 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2010, Cathrine was ranked #3533 and Selma #2392 among girls in England and Wales.
Cathrine and Selma over time
Cathrine and Selma appear together in 1 published list, across 48 years of shared records. Cathrine held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Selma 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.
Cathrine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Selma 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Selma moved ahead of Cathrine in Norway · Girls — #121 and #148 the year before became #128 and #127.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathrine and Selma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 48 years, from 1957 to 2020, ending at #478 and #9.
List by list
Norway · Girls48 shared years, 1957–2020
Cathrine held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Selma in 17.
Highest recorded here: Cathrine #21 in 1978, Selma #9 in 2020.
The order changed in 1999: Selma moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #121 and #148; by 1999 that had become #128 and #127.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Cathrine #478, Selma #9.
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 | Cathrine | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #478 (2020) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathrine has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Selma.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Cathrine
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #360 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1951–2020
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in Norway, in 1978 (recorded 1951–2020).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #478 among girls in Norway, in 2020.
Norway · Girls
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls