Bernard vs Karol
Bernard and Karolcompared 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 · Boys
In 2021, Bernard was ranked #200 and Karol #436 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Bernard was ranked #315 and Karol #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Bernard was ranked #572 and Karol #572 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bernard was ranked #613 and Karol #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Bernard and Karol over time
Bernard and Karol appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Karol held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Bernard 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.
Karol reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Bernard 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
Bernard and Karol changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1978 and 2021, ending at #200 and #436.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2024
Bernard held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Karol in 13.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #613 in 2024, Karol #557 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernard #613, Karol #4270.
Norway · Boys21 shared years, 1978–2021
Bernard held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Karol in 11.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #200 in 2021, Karol #185 in 1986.
The order changed in 2013: Bernard moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #487 and #470; by 2013 that had become #370 and #501.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Bernard #200, Karol #436.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1979–2022
Bernard held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Karol in 7.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #71 in 1982, Karol #75 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Bernard #572, Karol #572.
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 | Bernard | Karol |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #277 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| 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
- Bernard and Karol both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Bernard
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #277 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Karol
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #544 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1979–2022
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1979–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys