Katinka vs Wendy
Katinka and Wendycompared 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 2009, Katinka was ranked #523 and Wendy #581 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Katinka was ranked #5785 and Wendy #1834 among girls in England and Wales.
Katinka and Wendy over time
Katinka and Wendy appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Wendy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Katinka 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 1971–2009
Katinka held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Wendy in 10.
Highest recorded here: Katinka #244 in 1992, Wendy #319 in 1973.
The order changed in 1988: Katinka moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #611 and #580; by 1988 that had become #286 and #599.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Katinka #523, Wendy #581.
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 | Katinka | Wendy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Popularized by J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, where the character's name was created from the nickname 'fwendy' ('friend') given to Barrie by a young friend. Occasionally appeared before the play and may relate to Welsh names beginning with 'gwen' ('white, blessed'), though the name only became common after Barrie's play. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɛn.di/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #559 (2016) | Scotland · Girls #541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Wendy has a recorded origin (Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection); Katinka does not have one recorded yet.
- Katinka has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Wendy.
- A meaning is recorded for Wendy; Katinka doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Katinka
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #527 among girls in Norway in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1971–2016
Highest recorded position: #244 among girls in Norway, in 1992 (recorded 1971–2016).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2016
Most recently recorded at #5785 among girls in England and Wales, in 2016.
England and Wales · Girls
Wendy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1981
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1954–1981).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls