Colleen vs Kay
Colleen and Kaycompared 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 1963, Colleen was ranked #68 and Kay #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1965, Colleen was ranked #87 and Kay #96 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Colleen was ranked #532 and Kay #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Colleen was ranked #4763 and Kay #4763 among girls in England and Wales.
Colleen and Kay over time
Colleen and Kay appear together in 3 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Colleen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kay 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.
Kay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Colleen 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Colleen moved into the top 50 at #50 in 1955 as Kay fell out of it to #56, having been #48 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1955, Colleen moved ahead of Kay in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #55 and #48 the year before became #50 and #56.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Colleen #753 in 1996, Kay #448 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2016
Colleen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kay in 16.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #753 in 1996, Kay #448 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Colleen #4763, Kay #4763.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls12 shared years, 1952–1963
Colleen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kay in 3.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #41 in 1952, Kay #39 in 1952.
The order changed in 1955: Colleen moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #55 and #48; by 1955 that had become #50 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 1963: Colleen #68, Kay #92.
New Zealand · Girls12 shared years, 1954–1965
Colleen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kay in 3.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #43 in 1955, Kay #54 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1965: Colleen #87, Kay #96.
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 | Colleen | Kay |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5927 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colleen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kay.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Colleen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #41 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 recorded1952–1966
Highest recorded position: #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1966).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Kay
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #286 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1963
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1963).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls