Katie vs Rebecca
Katie and Rebeccacompared 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, Katie was ranked #41 and Rebecca #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Katie was ranked #47 and Rebecca #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2011, Katie was ranked #78 and Rebecca #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Katie was ranked #92 and Rebecca #94 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Katie was ranked #131 and Rebecca #431 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Katie was ranked #650 and Rebecca #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Katie and Rebecca over time
Katie and Rebecca appear together in 5 published lists, across 174 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rebecca reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Katie 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 2004, Katie moved ahead of Rebecca in New Zealand · Girls — #38 and #33 the year before became #46 and #48.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Katie and Rebecca averaged 47.6 places apart, ending at #650 and #413.
- Longest-running competitions
Katie and Rebecca were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #650 and #413.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #12 and #8 in England and Wales · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #650 and #413.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1973–2025
Katie held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Rebecca in 25.
Highest recorded here: Katie #2 in 2004, Rebecca #7 in 1995.
The order changed in 2001: Katie moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #12 and #7; by 2001 that had become #9 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Katie #41, Rebecca #141.
New Zealand · Girls36 shared years, 1976–2011
Katie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rebecca in 28.
Highest recorded here: Katie #33 in 1981, Rebecca #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 2004: Katie moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #38 and #33; by 2004 that had become #46 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Katie #78, Rebecca #85.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Katie held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Rebecca in 13.
Highest recorded here: Katie #9 in 2004, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Katie #650, Rebecca #413.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls30 shared years, 1976–2008
Katie held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Rebecca in 28.
Highest recorded here: Katie #23 in 1986, Rebecca #1 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Katie #92, Rebecca #94.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Katie held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Rebecca in 5.
Highest recorded here: Katie #1 in 2004, Rebecca #2 in 1999.
The order changed in 2002: Katie moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #12 and #8; by 2002 that had become #3 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Katie #47, Rebecca #337.
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 | Katie | Rebecca |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Kate, itself a short form of Katherine. | Traditionally associated with concepts of 'joining', 'tying', or a 'team/yoke' — a binding or connecting sense, from a Semitic root about fastening things together. |
| Origin | Greek, diminutive form | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪ.ti/ | /rəˈbɛkə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #41 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Katie is recorded with a Greek, diminutive form origin, while Rebecca is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka origin.
- Katie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Rebecca.
- Katie's recorded meaning differs from Rebecca's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Katie
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #650 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Rebecca
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #440 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2008
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1966–2008).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls