Carolyn vs Dora
Carolyn and Doracompared 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 1996, Carolyn was ranked #295 and Dora #534 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Carolyn was ranked #3598 and Dora #1056 among girls in England and Wales.
Carolyn and Dora over time
Carolyn and Dora appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1996–2023
Carolyn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Dora in 21.
Highest recorded here: Carolyn #1018 in 1999, Dora #952 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Carolyn #3598, Dora #1056.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1964–1996
Carolyn held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Dora in 1.
Highest recorded here: Carolyn #178 in 1980, Dora #202 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Carolyn #295, Dora #534.
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 | Carolyn | Dora |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3598 (2023) | England and Wales · Girls #1065 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Carolyn has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Dora.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Carolyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #40 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 recorded1952–1976
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1952–1976).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3598 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls
Dora
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #222 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #202 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1065 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls