Astrid vs Karen
Astrid 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Astrid was ranked #9 and Karen #442 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Astrid was ranked #263 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Astrid was ranked #871 and Karen #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Astrid and Karen over time
Astrid and Karen appear together in 3 published lists, across 123 years of shared records. Astrid held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Karen 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.
Karen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Astrid 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
Astrid and Karen changed places 12 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #9 and #442.
- Longest-running competitions
Astrid and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #9 and #442.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Astrid held the stronger position in 74 of those years, Karen in 7.
Highest recorded here: Astrid #9 in 2025, Karen #57 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Astrid #9, Karen #442.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Astrid held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Karen in 11.
Highest recorded here: Astrid #239 in 2022, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Astrid moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #928 and #717; by 2007 that had become #693 and #809.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Astrid #263, Karen #4843.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1977–2019
Astrid held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Karen in 12.
Highest recorded here: Astrid #476 in 1983, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Astrid #871, Karen #871.
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 | Astrid | Karen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beautiful god' or 'divinely beautiful'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old Norse | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæstɹɪd/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #9 (2025) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Astrid has a recorded origin (Old Norse); Karen does not have one recorded yet.
- Astrid and Karen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Astrid; Karen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Astrid
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #12 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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