Kate vs Lisa
Kate and Lisacompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1997, Kate was ranked #15 and Lisa #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1997, Kate was ranked #33 and Lisa #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Kate was ranked #52 and Lisa #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Kate was ranked #81 and Lisa #336 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Kate was ranked #490 and Lisa #214 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Kate was ranked #541 and Lisa #790 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Kate was ranked #1302 and Lisa #795 among girls in England and Wales.
Kate and Lisa over time
Kate and Lisa appear together in 6 published lists, across 219 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 6 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lisa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Kate 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1986, Kate moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #12 and #10 the year before became #11 and #16.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Kate and Lisa averaged 26.6 places apart, ending at #33 and #100.
- Mirrored each other
Over 58 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Kate rose about as far as Lisa fell — from #300 and #222 in 1964 to #52 and #443 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Kate and Lisa were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 65 years, from 1945 to 2022, ending at #490 and #214.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Kate #59 in 1996, Lisa #105 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Girls65 shared years, 1945–2022
Kate held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Lisa in 41.
Highest recorded here: Kate #106 in 1957, Lisa #37 in 1994.
The order changed in 1971: Lisa moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #133 and #180; by 1971 that had become #232 and #160.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Kate #490, Lisa #214.
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025
Kate held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lisa in 28.
Highest recorded here: Kate #10 in 2007, Lisa #3 in 1984.
The order changed in 1996: Kate moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #28 and #21; by 1996 that had become #25 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kate #52, Lisa #443.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kate held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Lisa in 2.
Highest recorded here: Kate #59 in 1996, Lisa #105 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Lisa moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #775 and #910; by 2023 that had become #1108 and #734.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kate #1302, Lisa #795.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1973–1997
Kate held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Lisa in 13.
Highest recorded here: Kate #11 in 1986, Lisa #5 in 1973.
The order changed in 1986: Kate moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #12 and #10; by 1986 that had become #11 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Kate #33, Lisa #100.
New Zealand · Girls25 shared years, 1973–1997
Kate held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Lisa in 17.
Highest recorded here: Kate #15 in 1992, Lisa #2 in 1973.
The order changed in 1990: Kate moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #21 and #19; by 1990 that had become #18 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Kate #15, Lisa #85.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2019
Kate held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lisa in 1.
Highest recorded here: Kate #47 in 2005, Lisa #63 in 1997.
The order changed in 2000: Kate moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #104 and #104; by 2000 that had become #80 and #86.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Kate #81, Lisa #336.
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 | Lisa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A short form of Elizabeth, often used independently — notably the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. |
| Origin | Greek, short form of Katherine | Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪt/ | /ˈliː.sə/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Norway · Girls #174 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kate is recorded with a Greek, short form of Katherine origin, while Lisa is recorded with a Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth origin.
- Kate and Lisa both have 2 syllables.
- Kate's recorded meaning differs from Lisa's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Lisa
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–1997
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1962–1997).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #174 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls