Ann vs Karen
Ann and Karencompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1970, Ann was ranked #97 and Karen #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1969, Ann was ranked #92 and Karen #3 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Ann was ranked #404 and Karen #352 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Ann was ranked #362 and Karen #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Ann was ranked #439 and Karen #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ann was ranked #1406 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Ann and Karen over time
Ann and Karen appear together in 5 published lists, across 194 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ann in 1.
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.
Ann reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Karen in 1. 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
Ann and Karen changed places 15 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1406 and #4843.
- Longest-running competitions
Ann and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 75 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #404 and #352.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ann #539 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Girls75 shared years, 1945–2023
Ann held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Karen in 27.
Highest recorded here: Ann #10 in 1967, Karen #57 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ann #404, Karen #352.
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2019
Ann held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Karen in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ann #4 in 1964, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ann #362, Karen #871.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Ann held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Karen in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ann #539 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order changed in 2021: Ann moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1939 and #1773; by 2021 that had become #1351 and #3192.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ann #1406, Karen #4843.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1952–1970
Ann held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ann #31 in 1955, Karen #1 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1970: Ann #97, Karen #2.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 1954–1969
Ann held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ann #39 in 1955, Karen #1 in 1957.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1969: Ann #92, Karen #3.
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 | Ann | Karen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ann has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Karen.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ann
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #82 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Karen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1986
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1963 (recorded 1952–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #442 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls