Cathy vs Ruth
Cathy and Ruthcompared 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 Ruth #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Cathy was ranked #873 and Ruth #130 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Cathy was ranked #439 and Ruth #311 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Cathy was ranked #5785 and Ruth #458 among girls in England and Wales.
Cathy and Ruth over time
Cathy and Ruth appear together in 2 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Ruth held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cathy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ruth 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathy and Ruth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2017, ending at #873 and #130.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cathy #1755 in 1996, Ruth #120 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2017
Cathy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ruth in 50.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #168 in 1986, Ruth #42 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Cathy #873, Ruth #130.
England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 1996–2016
Cathy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ruth in 13.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #1755 in 1996, Ruth #120 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Cathy #5785, Ruth #458.
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 | Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as '(female) friend' or 'companion', probably a contraction of Hebrew re'ut. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈruːθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #247 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ruth has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Cathy does not have one recorded yet.
- Cathy has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ruth.
- A meaning is recorded for Ruth; Cathy doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Ruth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #35 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: #35 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #299 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls