Kate vs Ruqayyah
Kate and Ruqayyahcompared 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 2025, Kate was ranked #1079 and Ruqayyah #483 among girls in England and Wales.
Kate and Ruqayyah over time
Kate and Ruqayyah appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Kate held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ruqayyah 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 1 of those lists, and Ruqayyah 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.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Kate and Ruqayyah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1079 and #483.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Kate held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Ruqayyah in 8.
Highest recorded here: Kate #59 in 1996, Ruqayyah #454 in 2016.
The order changed in 2018: Ruqayyah moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #491 and #533; by 2018 that had become #596 and #545.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kate #1079, Ruqayyah #483.
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 Kate
Pairs where Kate shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Kate vs Gemma
In 1996 they stood at #59 and #50 in England and Wales · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #1079 and #4867.
Kate · Gemma · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Ashleigh vs Kate
In 1996 they stood at #58 and #59 in England and Wales · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #2788 and #1079.
Ashleigh · Kate · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Courtney vs Kate
In 1996 they stood at #52 and #59 in England and Wales · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #2278 and #1079.
Courtney · Kate · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Amelia vs Kate
In 1996 they stood at #63 and #59 in England and Wales · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #3 and #1079.
Amelia · Kate · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Kate | Ruqayyah |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #483 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kate has a recorded origin (Greek, short form of Katherine); Ruqayyah does not have one recorded yet.
- Kate and Ruqayyah both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kate; Ruqayyah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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 #1079 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Ruqayyah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1646 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #454 among girls in England and Wales, in 2016 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls