Clare vs Lorraine
Clare and Lorrainecompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Clare was ranked #78 and Lorraine #301 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Clare was ranked #512 and Lorraine #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Clare was ranked #4192 and Lorraine #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Clare and Lorraine over time
Clare and Lorraine appear together in 2 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lorraine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Clare 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
Clare and Lorraine changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #4192 and #2115.
- Longest-running competitions
Clare and Lorraine were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #512 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Clare #200 in 1996, Lorraine #661 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #55 and #47 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2018 they were #512 and #896.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2018
Clare held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lorraine in 32.
Highest recorded here: Clare #45 in 1985, Lorraine #14 in 1979.
The order changed in 2007: Clare moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #394 and #345; by 2007 that had become #373 and #505.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Clare #512, Lorraine #896.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clare held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Lorraine in 4.
Highest recorded here: Clare #200 in 1996, Lorraine #661 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Lorraine moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2689 and #5687; by 2024 that had become #4192 and #2115.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clare #4192, Lorraine #2115.
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 | Clare | Lorraine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Clare has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Lorraine.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Clare
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #45 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Lorraine
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #27 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #14 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls