Janice vs Katharine
Janice and Katharinecompared 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 1997, Janice was ranked #358 and Katharine #314 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1996, Janice was ranked #356 and Katharine #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Janice was ranked #1959 and Katharine #4709 among girls in England and Wales.
Janice and Katharine over time
Janice and Katharine appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Janice and Katharine changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2023, ending at #1959 and #4709.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Janice #1364 in 1996, Katharine #258 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2023
Janice held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Katharine in 17.
Highest recorded here: Janice #1364 in 1996, Katharine #258 in 1997.
The order changed in 2022: Janice moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #4535 and #3899; by 2022 that had become #1948 and #4645.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Janice #1959, Katharine #4709.
Republic of Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1970–1996
Janice held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Katharine in 0.
Highest recorded here: Janice #117 in 1980, Katharine #363 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Janice #356, Katharine #471.
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 | Janice | Katharine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2138 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4709 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Janice has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Katharine.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Janice
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #32 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 recorded1954–1964
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1964).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2138 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Katharine
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #363 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2023
Highest recorded position: #258 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2023).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4709 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls