Cathy

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Cathy: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Cathy: Recorded since 1960, it reached #92 in 1965, and it was last ranked in 2017.

4registrars recorded it
71times a registrar ranked it
58years from first to last
#92highest recorded position
14groupings it qualifies for

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2016

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#1755
1997	#3174
1998	#2165
1999	#2770
2000	#3247
2001	#3262
2002	#3409
2003	#3594
2004	#3725
2006	#5061
2007	#5201
2008	#4524
2016	#5785

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 50 of the 54 years from 1964 to 2017.

In 2008: #439 among girls in Northern Ireland, #546 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #4524 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 1960–2017 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1960
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1960–1965
Highest recorded position: #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1960–1965).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

Cathy appears in 4 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Girls, with 50 ranked years and 667 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Girls, from 1960.

Cathy across 4 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Cathy's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#372 (1964)	#168 (1986)	#873 (2017)	50 of 54	667 (1964–2017)	32 (1986)
England and Wales · Girls	#1755 (1996)	#1755 (1996)	#5785 (2016)	13 of 21	58 (1996–2016)	9 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#314 (1997)	#248 (2000)	#439 (2008)	4 of 12	15 (1997–2008)	5 (2000)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#96 (1960)	#92 (1965)	#92 (1965)	4 of 6	331 (1960–1965)	89 (1962)

Cathy by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Cathy in Republic of Ireland · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	16	4 of 10	4
1970s	145	10 of 10	15
1980sbusiest	246	10 of 10	25
1990s	162	10 of 10	16
2000s	69	10 of 10	7
2010s	29	6 of 10	5

Across Republic of Ireland · Girls, the 1980s were its busiest decade, averaging 25 births a year.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Cathy appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1960 to 2017. Highest recorded position: #92 in New South Wales, Australia in 1965.

Cathy's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2016	England and Wales	female	#5785	3	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#4524	4	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#5201	3	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#5061	3	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#3725	4	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#3594	4	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#3409	4	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#3262	4	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#3247	4	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#2770	5	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#2165	7	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#3174	4	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#1755	9	High	Verified
1965	New South Wales, Australia	female	#92	81	Insufficient	Not yet available
1964	New South Wales, Australia	female	#99	75	Insufficient	Not yet available
1962	New South Wales, Australia	female	#94	89	Insufficient	Not yet available
1960	New South Wales, Australia	female	#96	86	Insufficient	Not yet available
2008	Northern Ireland	female	#439	3	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	female	#372	3	High	Verified
2000	Northern Ireland	female	#248	5	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	female	#314	4	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	female	#873	3	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	female	#660	5	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	female	#661	5	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	female	#677	5	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	female	#695	5	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	female	#593	6	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	female	#641	5	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	female	#546	7	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#431	9	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	female	#635	4	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	female	#587	4	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	female	#340	9	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	female	#439	6	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#443	5	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	female	#400	6	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	female	#239	14	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	female	#322	7	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	female	#270	9	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	female	#275	13	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	female	#216	18	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	female	#261	13	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	female	#198	20	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	female	#174	25	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	female	#203	20	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	female	#224	17	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	female	#203	20	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	female	#218	18	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	female	#185	24	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	female	#210	22	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#168	32	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	female	#215	21	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	female	#187	30	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	female	#209	23	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	female	#201	27	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	female	#225	22	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	female	#202	27	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	female	#230	20	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#236	19	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	female	#227	19	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	female	#271	12	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	female	#252	14	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	female	#220	21	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	female	#254	15	High	Verified
1972	Republic of Ireland	female	#332	7	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	female	#257	12	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	female	#326	6	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	female	#322	6	High	Verified
1968	Republic of Ireland	female	#357	4	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	female	#393	3	High	Verified
1964	Republic of Ireland	female	#372	3	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 4 registrars between 1960 and 2017, ranked in 54 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #92, first reached in 1965.

It held a top-100 place in 4 years, 2 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 89 births, registered in New South Wales, Australia in 1962.

Its record falls into 5 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 1 year.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1964, and 37 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Cathriona · #180, 36y
Cathryn · #344, 26y
Cato · #85, 77y
Catrin · #316, 29y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 4 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Leigh · #92, 55y
Kara · #93, 54y
Kiera · #91, 50y
Orlagh · #89, 57y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Leigh · #92, 55y
Leonora · #92, 48y
Mira · #92, 50y
Aishling · #93, 48y

Cathy was ranked #92 in New South Wales, Australia · Girls in 1965. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Cathy and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Cathy without appearing here.

Cathy moved ahead of

Debra Compare
In 2007 they stood at #5061 and #4157 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #4524 and #5545.
Lene Compare
In 2007 they stood at #5201 and #5201 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2008 that had become #4524 and #5545.
Janet Compare
In 2009 they stood at #439 and #439 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2010 that had become #593 and #910.
Therese Compare
In 2009 they stood at #641 and #641 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2010 that had become #593 and #910.

Moved ahead of Cathy

Amalie Compare
In 2001 they stood at #3262 and #3998 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2002 that had become #3409 and #938.
Meabh Compare
In 2005 they stood at #3594 and #4373 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2006 that had become #5061 and #2781.
Cameron Compare
In 1996 they stood at #1755 and #2350 in England and Wales · Girls; by 1997 that had become #3174 and #983.
Diane Compare
In 1996 they stood at #1755 and #1914 in England and Wales · Girls; by 1997 that had become #3174 and #983.

Moved the opposite way to Cathy

Aisling Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 while Aisling went from #154 to #86.
Alexandra Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 while Alexandra went from #222 to #111.
Anna Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 while Anna went from #34 to #12.
Charlotte Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 while Charlotte went from #171 to #42.

Moved the same way as Cathy

Alma Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 and Alma from #327 to #579.
Audrey Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 and Audrey from #85 to #471.
Barbara Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 and Barbara from #43 to #734.
Eileen Compare
Between 1964 and 2017 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cathy went from #372 to #873 and Eileen from #17 to #396.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1960 to 2017. Highest recorded position: #92 in New South Wales, Australia in 1965. Source data last verified 2026-07-22.

Cathy

Cathy at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Cathy across 4 official records

Cathy by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Cathy appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Cathy

Cathy and the names beside it

Cathy moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Cathy

Moved the opposite way to Cathy

Moved the same way as Cathy

Cathy at a glance

Cathy across 4 official records

Cathy by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Cathy appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Cathy

Cathy and the names beside it

Cathy moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Cathy

Moved the opposite way to Cathy

Moved the same way as Cathy