Carolyn vs Eileen

Carolyn and Eileencompared 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.

Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2002, Carolyn was ranked #286 and Eileen #339 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Carolyn was ranked #907 and Eileen #677 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Carolyn was ranked #3598 and Eileen #888 among girls in England and Wales.

Carolyn and Eileen over time

Carolyn and Eileen appear together in 2 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Eileen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Carolyn in 0.

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.

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.

Longest-running competitions
Carolyn and Eileen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #907 and #677.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1964–2012
Carolyn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Eileen in 41.
Highest recorded here: Carolyn #178 in 1980, Eileen #17 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Carolyn #907, Eileen #677.
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1996–2023
Carolyn held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Eileen in 22.
Highest recorded here: Carolyn #1018 in 1999, Eileen #876 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Carolyn #3598, Eileen #888.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Eileen

Pairs where Eileen shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Geraldine vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #9 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2021 they were #883 and #322.
Geraldine · Eileen · 51 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Republic of Ireland ranking
Pauline vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #12 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2018 they were #896 and #336.
Pauline · Eileen · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Eileen vs Carmel
In 1964 they stood at #17 and #21 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2015 they were #362 and #896.
Eileen · Carmel · 46 shared years, 1964–2015 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2015 Republic of Ireland ranking
Deirdre vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #14 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2019 they were #871 and #421.
Deirdre · Eileen · 51 shared years, 1964–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2019 Republic of Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Carolyn, Eileen
Field	Carolyn	Eileen
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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #3598 (2023)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Carolyn has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Eileen.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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

Eileen

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls