Kate vs Kitty
Kate and Kittycompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Kate was ranked #52 and Kitty #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Kate was ranked #103 and Kitty #418 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2008, Kate was ranked #563 and Kitty #565 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Kate was ranked #1302 and Kitty #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Kate and Kitty over time
Kate and Kitty appear together in 4 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Kate held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kitty 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.
Kate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Kitty 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kate and Kitty changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1302 and #952.
- Longest-running competitions
Kate and Kitty were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 34 years, from 1945 to 2008, ending at #563 and #565.
List by list
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1945–2008
Kate held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Kitty in 1.
Highest recorded here: Kate #104 in 1956, Kitty #195 in 1947.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Kate #563, Kitty #565.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kate held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Kitty in 14.
Highest recorded here: Kate #59 in 1996, Kitty #189 in 2009.
The order changed in 2023: Kitty moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #775 and #876; by 2023 that had become #1108 and #921.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kate #1302, Kitty #952.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2025
Kate held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kitty in 0.
Highest recorded here: Kate #10 in 2007, Kitty #229 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kate #52, Kitty #294.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2004–2022
Kate held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kitty in 0.
Highest recorded here: Kate #57 in 2007, Kitty #282 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Kate #103, Kitty #418.
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 | Kate | Kitty |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek, short form of Katherine | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪt/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #294 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kate has a recorded origin (Greek, short form of Katherine); Kitty does not have one recorded yet.
- Kate and Kitty both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kate; Kitty doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Kitty
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #276 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #189 among girls in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls