Dan vs Karl
Dan 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #456 and Karl #179 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Dan was ranked #234 and Karl #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #286 and Karl #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dan was ranked #1460 and Karl #2088 among boys in England and Wales.
Dan and Karl over time
Dan and Karl appear together in 4 published lists, across 156 years of shared records. Karl held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Dan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Karl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Dan in 1. 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
Dan and Karl changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1460 and #2088.
- Longest-running competitions
Dan and Karl were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #456 and #179.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Dan #476 in 1997, Karl #110 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Karl in 75.
Highest recorded here: Dan #75 in 1987, Karl #33 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #456, Karl #179.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1974–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Karl in 23.
Highest recorded here: Dan #205 in 2005, Karl #56 in 1993.
The order changed in 2014: Dan moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #296 and #296; by 2014 that had become #215 and #314.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #286, Karl #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Karl in 23.
Highest recorded here: Dan #476 in 1997, Karl #110 in 1996.
The order changed in 2022: Dan moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #1782 and #1184; by 2022 that had become #1469 and #1692.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dan #1460, Karl #2088.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2001–2022
Dan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Karl in 8.
Highest recorded here: Dan #204 in 2002, Karl #125 in 2003.
The order changed in 2015: Dan moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #398 and #398; by 2015 that had become #259 and #415.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dan #234, Karl #414.
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 | Dan | 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | Norway · Boys #179 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dan and Karl both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Dan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #456 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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 #179 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys