Katherine vs Nuala
Katherine and Nualacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Katherine was ranked #355 and Nuala #432 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Katherine was ranked #476 and Nuala #431 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Katherine was ranked #556 and Nuala #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Katherine was ranked #594 and Nuala #1036 among girls in England and Wales.
Katherine and Nuala over time
Katherine and Nuala appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Katherine held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Nuala in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Katherine and Nuala changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #556 and #898.
- Longest-running competitions
Katherine and Nuala were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 44 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #556 and #898.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Katherine #56 in 1998, Nuala #161 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls44 shared years, 1964–2024
Katherine held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Nuala in 6.
Highest recorded here: Katherine #71 in 1965, Nuala #71 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Katherine #556, Nuala #898.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Katherine held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nuala in 0.
Highest recorded here: Katherine #48 in 1996, Nuala #860 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Katherine #594, Nuala #1036.
Northern Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 1997–2017
Katherine held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Nuala in 0.
Highest recorded here: Katherine #56 in 1998, Nuala #161 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Katherine #355, Nuala #432.
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 | Katherine | Nuala |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 4 | 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #431 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Katherine has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Nuala.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Katherine
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #100 among girls in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1956–2000
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1956–2000).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Nuala
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #71 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1036 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls