Cathy vs Janet
Cathy and Janetcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1965, Cathy was ranked #92 and Janet #82 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Cathy was ranked #314 and Janet #314 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Cathy was ranked #677 and Janet #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Cathy was ranked #5785 and Janet #2547 among girls in England and Wales.
Cathy and Janet over time
Cathy and Janet appear together in 2 published lists, across 53 years of shared records. Janet held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cathy 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.
Janet reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathy 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
Cathy and Janet changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2012, ending at #677 and #907.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathy and Janet were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 40 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #677 and #907.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cathy #1755 in 1996, Janet #1031 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1964–2012
Cathy held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Janet in 22.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #168 in 1986, Janet #98 in 1969.
The order changed in 2010: Cathy moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #439 and #439; by 2010 that had become #593 and #910.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cathy #677, Janet #907.
England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 1996–2016
Cathy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Janet in 13.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #1755 in 1996, Janet #1031 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Cathy #5785, Janet #2547.
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 | Cathy | Janet |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017) | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathy and Janet both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cathy
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1960–1965
Highest recorded position: #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1960–1965).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Janet
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #308 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1966
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1966).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls