Abigail vs Karla
Abigail and Karlacompared 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 2014, Abigail was ranked #46 and Karla #365 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Karla #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Karla #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #273 and Karla #266 among girls in Norway.
Abigail and Karla over time
Abigail and Karla appear together in 4 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Karla 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.
Karla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Abigail 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Abigail and Karla changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1984 and 2025, ending at #273 and #266.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in Norway · Girls, Abigail and Karla averaged 50.5 places apart, ending at #273 and #266.
- Mirrored each other
Over 45 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Abigail rose about as far as Karla fell — from #332 and #471 in 1972 to #115 and #718 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Abigail and Karla were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #115 and #718.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Abigail #246 in 2022, Karla #264 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1972–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Karla in 13.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Karla #194 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Karla #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Karla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Karla #433 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Karla #2115.
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 1984–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Karla in 6.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #246 in 2022, Karla #264 in 2022.
The order changed in 2024: Karla moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #302 and #353; by 2024 that had become #353 and #322.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #273, Karla #266.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2014
Abigail held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Karla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #29 in 2005, Karla #155 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Abigail #46, Karla #365.
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 | Abigail | Karla |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | Norway · Girls #266 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Karla.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Karla
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #366 among girls in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #266 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls