Cyril vs Karl
Cyril and Karlcompared 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 · Boys
In 2012, Cyril was ranked #718 and Karl #243 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Cyril was ranked #3684 and Karl #1466 among boys in England and Wales.
Cyril and Karl over time
Cyril and Karl appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Karl held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cyril 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2025
Cyril held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Karl in 28.
Highest recorded here: Cyril #1457 in 2008, Karl #110 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cyril #3684, Karl #1466.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1964–2012
Cyril held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karl in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cyril #91 in 1966, Karl #47 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cyril #718, Karl #243.
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 | Cyril | Karl |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3684 (2025) | Norway · Boys #179 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cyril has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Karl.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Cyril
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #116 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #91 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Karl
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #35 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1962–1994
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in New Zealand, in 1973 (recorded 1962–1994).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1466 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys