Carol vs Kari
Carol and Karicompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1989, Carol was ranked #87 and Kari #503 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2019, Carol was ranked #5591 and Kari #4686 among girls in England and Wales.
Carol and Kari over time
Carol and Kari appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Carol held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kari 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.
Carol reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Kari 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
Carol and Kari changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2019, ending at #5591 and #4686.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Carol #802 in 1996, Kari #2165 in 1998.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2019
Carol held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Kari in 3.
Highest recorded here: Carol #802 in 1996, Kari #2165 in 1998.
The order changed in 2019: Kari moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #4684 and #5666; by 2019 that had become #5591 and #4686.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Carol #5591, Kari #4686.
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 | Carol | Kari |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023) | Norway · Girls #222 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Carol and Kari both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Carol
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #26 among girls 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 · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys
Kari
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #4 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: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #222 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls