Namewise

Donna vs Karen

Donna 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 1982, Donna was ranked #79 and Karen #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1984, Donna was ranked #90 and Karen #89 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2004, Donna was ranked #372 and Karen #273 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2017, Donna was ranked #873 and Karen #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Donna was ranked #5891 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.

Donna and Karen over time

Donna and Karen appear together in 4 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Donna in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Karen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Donna 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.

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 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Donna and Karen averaged 26.5 places apart, ending at #79 and #41.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Donna and Karen were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 30 years, from 1953 to 1982, ending at #79 and #41.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Donna #441 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2017

    Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 49.

    Highest recorded here: Donna #33 in 1982, Karen #5 in 1977.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Donna #873, Karen #471.

  • New Zealand · Girls31 shared years, 1954–1984

    Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 31.

    Highest recorded here: Donna #6 in 1965, Karen #1 in 1957.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1984: Donna #90, Karen #89.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls30 shared years, 1953–1982

    Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Donna #5 in 1964, Karen #1 in 1963.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1982: Donna #79, Karen #41.

  • England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024

    Donna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Donna #441 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Donna #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.

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 Donna

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

Other comparisons involving Karen

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

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1980s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1980 and 1989.

The 1980s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Donna, Karen
FieldDonnaKaren
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024)Norway · Girls #442 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Donna and Karen both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Donna

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1953

    First recorded at #91 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

  2. Highest recorded1953–1982

    Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1964 (recorded 1953–1982).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls

Karen

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1986

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1963 (recorded 1952–1986).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #442 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls