Cathryn vs Eabha
Cathryn and Eabhacompared 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 2017, Cathryn was ranked #5765 and Eabha #2201 among girls in England and Wales.
Cathryn and Eabha over time
Cathryn and Eabha appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Eabha held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathryn 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.
Cathryn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Eabha 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 · Girls9 shared years, 2004–2017
Cathryn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Eabha in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cathryn #2112 in 2004, Eabha #2070 in 2015.
The order changed in 2009: Eabha moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #4157 and #5061; by 2009 that had become #5556 and #2326.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Cathryn #5765, Eabha #2201.
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 | Cathryn | Eabha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally treated as the Irish form of the name Eve, carrying the same underlying sense of 'life' or 'living one'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈeːwə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5765 (2017) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eabha has a recorded origin (Irish); Cathryn does not have one recorded yet.
- Cathryn and Eabha both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Eabha; Cathryn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cathryn
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #466 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–1999
Highest recorded position: #344 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1998–1999).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #5765 among girls in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Girls
Eabha
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #13 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2001–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls