Cliona vs Kate
Cliona and Katecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Cliona was ranked #856 and Kate #38 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Cliona was ranked #391 and Kate #126 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Cliona was ranked #4056 and Kate #1108 among girls in England and Wales.
Cliona and Kate over time
Cliona and Kate appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Kate held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cliona 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.
Cliona reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Kate in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1979, Kate moved ahead of Cliona in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #140 and #211 the year before became #170 and #161.
- Longest-running competitions
Cliona and Kate were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #856 and #38.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2023
Cliona held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Kate in 43.
Highest recorded here: Cliona #83 in 1998, Kate #10 in 2007.
The order changed in 1979: Kate moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #140 and #211; by 1979 that had become #170 and #161.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cliona #856, Kate #38.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1997–2023
Cliona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kate in 25.
Highest recorded here: Cliona #106 in 2001, Kate #47 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cliona #391, Kate #126.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2023
Cliona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kate in 18.
Highest recorded here: Cliona #1372 in 2002, Kate #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cliona #4056, Kate #1108.
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 | Cliona | Kate |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek, short form of Katherine |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkeɪt/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #391 (2023) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kate has a recorded origin (Greek, short form of Katherine); Cliona does not have one recorded yet.
- Cliona and Kate both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kate; Cliona doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cliona
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #226 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #83 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4056 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls