Elaine vs Karen
Elaine 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1958, Elaine was ranked #94 and Karen #2 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1955, Elaine was ranked #94 and Karen #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2003, Elaine was ranked #331 and Karen #225 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Elaine was ranked #896 and Karen #629 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elaine was ranked #1133 and Karen #2440 among girls in England and Wales.
Elaine and Karen over time
Elaine and Karen appear together in 2 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Elaine 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 1 of those lists, and Elaine 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elaine and Karen changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2018, ending at #896 and #629.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 54 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Elaine and Karen averaged 40.7 places apart, ending at #896 and #629.
- Longest-running competitions
Elaine and Karen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #896 and #629.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Elaine #823 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2018
Elaine held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Karen in 38.
Highest recorded here: Elaine #6 in 1982, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Elaine #896, Karen #629.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Elaine held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Karen in 20.
Highest recorded here: Elaine #823 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Elaine moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #1977 and #1490; by 2019 that had become #1782 and #1940.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elaine #1133, Karen #2440.
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 | Elaine | 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (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
- Elaine has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Karen.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Elaine
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #71 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1133 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #2440 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls