Eileen vs Karen
Eileen 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Eileen was ranked #421 and Karen #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Eileen was ranked #439 and Karen #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Eileen was ranked #501 and Karen #442 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eileen was ranked #855 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Eileen and Karen over time
Eileen and Karen appear together in 3 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Eileen 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.
Karen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Eileen 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
Eileen and Karen changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2019, ending at #421 and #871.
- Longest-running competitions
Eileen and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 73 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #501 and #442.
List by list
Norway · Girls73 shared years, 1945–2025
Eileen held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Karen in 72.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #224 in 1972, Karen #57 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eileen #501, Karen #442.
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2019
Eileen held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Karen in 41.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #17 in 1964, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Eileen #421, Karen #871.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Eileen held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Karen in 18.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #855 in 2024, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Eileen moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #2090 and #1490; by 2019 that had become #1316 and #1940.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eileen #855, 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 | Eileen | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eileen and Karen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Eileen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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