Deborah vs Karoline
Deborah and Karolinecompared 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 1980, Deborah was ranked #48 and Karoline #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #429 and Karoline #223 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #580 and Karoline #5927 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Karoline over time
Deborah and Karoline appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Karoline held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Deborah in 0.
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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Karoline 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1960–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Karoline in 24.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #397 in 1960, Karoline #5 in 1993.
The order changed in 1972: Karoline moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #458 and #475; by 1972 that had become #586 and #326.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #429, Karoline #223.
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 | Deborah | Karoline |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Norway · Girls #223 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Karoline does not have one recorded yet.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Karoline.
- A meaning is recorded for Deborah; Karoline doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 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 recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #580 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Karoline
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #387 among girls in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1949–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 1993 (recorded 1949–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls