Kate vs Sunniva
Kate and Sunnivacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Kate was ranked #490 and Sunniva #118 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Kate was ranked #775 and Sunniva #5669 among girls in England and Wales.
Kate and Sunniva over time
Kate and Sunniva appear together in 1 published list, across 51 years of shared records. Sunniva held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kate 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 Sunniva 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1980, Sunniva moved ahead of Kate in Norway · Girls — #257 and #294 the year before became #370 and #189.
- Longest-running competitions
Kate and Sunniva were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 51 years, from 1955 to 2022, ending at #490 and #118.
List by list
Norway · Girls51 shared years, 1955–2022
Kate held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sunniva in 33.
Highest recorded here: Kate #106 in 1957, Sunniva #32 in 2003.
The order changed in 1980: Sunniva moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #257 and #294; by 1980 that had become #370 and #189.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Kate #490, Sunniva #118.
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 | Sunniva |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Norway · Girls #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kate has a recorded origin (Greek, short form of Katherine); Sunniva does not have one recorded yet.
- Kate has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sunniva.
- A meaning is recorded for Kate; Sunniva doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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 #1079 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sunniva
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #447 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1955–2025
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in Norway, in 2003 (recorded 1955–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls