Cathy vs Therese
Cathy and Theresecompared 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 Therese #90 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Cathy was ranked #439 and Therese #277 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Cathy was ranked #660 and Therese #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2008, Cathy was ranked #4524 and Therese #5545 among girls in England and Wales.
Cathy and Therese over time
Cathy and Therese appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Therese 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 Therese changed places 8 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2008, ending at #4524 and #5545.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathy and Therese were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1964 to 2015, ending at #660 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cathy #1755 in 1996, Therese #2096 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1964–2015
Cathy held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Therese in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #168 in 1986, Therese #117 in 1973.
The order changed in 2010: Cathy moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #641 and #641; by 2010 that had become #593 and #910.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Cathy #660, Therese #896.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 1996–2008
Cathy held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Therese in 4.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #1755 in 1996, Therese #2096 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Cathy #4524, Therese #5545.
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 | Therese |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017) | Norway · Girls #487 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cathy has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Therese.
- 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
Therese
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #363 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in Norway, in 1986 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #487 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls