Clodagh vs Zoe
Clodagh and Zoecompared 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 2024, Clodagh was ranked #20 and Zoe #105 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Clodagh was ranked #47 and Zoe #46 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Clodagh was ranked #431 and Zoe #76 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Clodagh was ranked #1036 and Zoe #99 among girls in England and Wales.
Clodagh and Zoe over time
Clodagh and Zoe appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Zoe held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Clodagh in 1.
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.
Zoe reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Clodagh 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Clodagh moved into the top 50 at #36 in 2021 as Zoe fell out of it to #61, having been #45 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Clodagh moved ahead of Zoe in Northern Ireland · Girls — #47 and #45 the year before became #36 and #61.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Clodagh and Zoe changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #20 and #105.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Clodagh and Zoe averaged 24.3 places apart, ending at #20 and #105.
- Longest-running competitions
Clodagh and Zoe were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 57 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #47 and #46.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Clodagh #897 in 1997, Zoe #31 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1968–2025
Clodagh held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Zoe in 16.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #34 in 2009, Zoe #26 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clodagh #47, Zoe #46.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clodagh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Zoe in 29.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #897 in 1997, Zoe #31 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clodagh #1036, Zoe #99.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Clodagh held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Zoe in 18.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #20 in 2024, Zoe #32 in 2002.
The order changed in 2021: Clodagh moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #47 and #45; by 2021 that had become #36 and #61.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clodagh #20, Zoe #105.
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 | Clodagh | Zoe |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A place-derived name, taken from the River Clodiagh in County Waterford, rather than from a traditional Irish word root. Popularised as a personal name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford. | Means 'life' in Greek. |
| Origin | Irish | Ancient Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊdə/ | /ˈzoʊi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #47 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 74/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Clodagh is recorded with a Irish origin, while Zoe is recorded with a Ancient Greek origin.
- Clodagh has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Zoe.
- Clodagh's recorded meaning differs from Zoe's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Clodagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Zoe
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2015 (recorded 1981–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls