Debra vs Karen
Debra and Karencompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1973, Debra was ranked #99 and Karen #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1973, Debra was ranked #97 and Karen #10 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Debra was ranked #677 and Karen #174 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Karen over time
Debra and Karen appear together in 4 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Debra in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Karen 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Debra and Karen averaged 36.0 places apart, ending at #99 and #6.
- Longest-running competitions
Debra and Karen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1964 to 2004, ending at #677 and #174.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Debra #1364 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1964–2004
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 33.
Highest recorded here: Debra #230 in 1970, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Debra #677, Karen #174.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1953–1973
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 20.
Highest recorded here: Debra #6 in 1958, Karen #1 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #99, Karen #6.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1955–1973
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 19.
Highest recorded here: Debra #17 in 1959, Karen #1 in 1957.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Debra #97, Karen #10.
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 15.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Karen #4843.
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 | Debra | Karen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Debra and Karen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Debra
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #75 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1973
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1958 (recorded 1953–1973).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Karen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1986
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1963 (recorded 1952–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #442 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls