Caroline vs Joanne
Caroline and Joannecompared 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 1981, Caroline was ranked #84 and Joanne #43 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1985, Caroline was ranked #85 and Joanne #76 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Caroline was ranked #358 and Joanne #312 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Caroline was ranked #458 and Joanne #747 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Caroline was ranked #1406 and Joanne #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Caroline and Joanne over time
Caroline and Joanne appear together in 5 published lists, across 148 years of shared records. Joanne held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Caroline in 2.
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.
Joanne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Caroline 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
Caroline and Joanne changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1406 and #2000.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Caroline and Joanne averaged 53.9 places apart, ending at #85 and #76.
- Longest-running competitions
Caroline and Joanne were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 58 years, from 1964 to 2022, ending at #458 and #747.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Caroline #182 in 1996, Joanne #168 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2022
Caroline held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Joanne in 0.
Highest recorded here: Caroline #3 in 1979, Joanne #29 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Caroline #458, Joanne #747.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Caroline held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Joanne in 3.
Highest recorded here: Caroline #182 in 1996, Joanne #168 in 1996.
The order changed in 2013: Caroline moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #1184 and #998; by 2013 that had become #733 and #1360.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caroline #1406, Joanne #2000.
New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1957–1985
Caroline held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Joanne in 28.
Highest recorded here: Caroline #56 in 1978, Joanne #4 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Caroline #85, Joanne #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1957–1981
Caroline held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joanne in 20.
Highest recorded here: Caroline #65 in 1979, Joanne #5 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Caroline #84, Joanne #43.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2015
Caroline held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Joanne in 7.
Highest recorded here: Caroline #112 in 1998, Joanne #101 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Caroline #358, Joanne #312.
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 | Caroline | Joanne |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A variant of Joan/Johanne, ultimately from the same Hebrew-via-Greek-via-Old-French tradition as John (Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious') — sometimes also read as a blend of Jo and Anne. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English and French, from Hebrew via Greek Ioannes |
| Pronunciation | /d͡ʒoʊ.ˈæn/ | |
| Syllables | 4 | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #381 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joanne has a recorded origin (English and French, from Hebrew via Greek Ioannes); Caroline does not have one recorded yet.
- Caroline has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Joanne.
- A meaning is recorded for Joanne; Caroline doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Caroline
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #94 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #392 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Joanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #77 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 recorded1954–1986
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in New Zealand, in 1969 (recorded 1954–1986).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls