Jay vs Pauline

Jay and Paulinecompared 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 · Girls
In 2008, Jay was ranked #5545 and Pauline #1718 among girls in England and Wales.

Jay and Pauline over time

Jay and Pauline appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Jay held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Pauline 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.

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
Jay and Pauline changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2008, ending at #5545 and #1718.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jay #701 in 1998, Pauline #1076 in 1998.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 1996–2008
Jay held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Pauline in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jay #701 in 1998, Pauline #1076 in 1998.
The order changed in 2008: Pauline moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #2895 and #3667; by 2008 that had become #5545 and #1718.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Jay #5545, Pauline #1718.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Pauline

Pairs where Pauline shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Elizabeth vs Pauline
In 1964 they stood at #6 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2018 they were #91 and #896.
Elizabeth · Pauline · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Catherine vs Pauline
In 1964 they stood at #2 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2018 they were #124 and #896.
Catherine · Pauline · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Margaret vs Pauline
In 1964 they stood at #3 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2018 they were #150 and #896.
Margaret · Pauline · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Bridget vs Pauline
In 1964 they stood at #8 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2018 they were #188 and #896.
Bridget · Pauline · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Jay, Pauline
Field	Jay	Pauline
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	female
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Origin	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded
Syllables	1	3
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #309 (2025)	England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	82/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Jay has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Pauline.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Jay

Popularity journey

First recorded1975
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys

Pauline

Popularity journey

First recorded1946
First recorded at #396 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls