Erin vs Kaj
Erin and Kajcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Erin was ranked #3017 and Kaj #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Erin and Kaj over time
Erin and Kaj appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Erin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kaj 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.
Kaj reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Erin 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys13 shared years, 1996–2021
Erin held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Kaj in 2.
Highest recorded here: Erin #1383 in 1999, Kaj #2357 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Erin moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #4685 and #3822; by 2019 that had become #3411 and #4702.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Erin #3017, Kaj #4789.
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 | Erin | Kaj |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of Éireann, the Irish name for Ireland itself. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛɹ.ɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #770 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Erin has a recorded origin (Irish); Kaj does not have one recorded yet.
- Erin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kaj.
- A meaning is recorded for Erin; Kaj doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Erin
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #89 among girls in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #71 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Kaj
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #320 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1994
Highest recorded position: #216 among boys in Norway, in 1959 (recorded 1945–1994).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys