Kay vs Teddy

Kay and Teddycompared 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 · Boys
In 2019, Kay was ranked #4702 and Teddy #32 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Kay was ranked #3970 and Teddy #2673 among girls in England and Wales.

Kay and Teddy over time

Kay and Teddy appear together in 2 published lists, across 17 years of shared records. Teddy held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kay 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.

Kay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Teddy 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

England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 1996–2022
Kay held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Teddy in 6.
Highest recorded here: Kay #448 in 1996, Teddy #1798 in 2014.
The order changed in 2018: Teddy moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #2706 and #3229; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #2340.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Kay #3970, Teddy #2673.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 2002–2019
Kay held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Teddy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Kay #3225 in 2002, Teddy #32 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Kay #4702, Teddy #32.

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 Teddy

Pairs where Teddy shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Archie vs Teddy
Archie and Teddy both rose over the same years in 3 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Archie · Teddy · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Arlo vs Teddy
Arlo and Teddy both rose over the same years in 3 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Arlo · Teddy · 27 shared years, 1999–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Arthur vs Teddy
Arthur and Teddy both rose over the same years in 3 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Arthur · Teddy · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Kay, Teddy
Field	Kay	Teddy
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	Used for both boys and girls	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	A diminutive form, not carrying independent meaning of its own — confirmed as a diminutive of both Edward ('rich guard') and Theodore ('gift of god'), two etymologically unrelated full names, so the meaning depends entirely on which name a given bearer is short for.
Origin	Not yet recorded	English, diminutive form
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈtɛdi/
Syllables	1	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #3970 (2022)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Teddy has a recorded origin (English, diminutive form); Kay does not have one recorded yet.
Kay has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Teddy.
A meaning is recorded for Teddy; Kay doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Kay

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #286 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1963
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1963).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3970 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Girls

Teddy

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys