Namewise

Ellen vs Karen

Ellen 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2010, Ellen was ranked #65 and Karen #430 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2019, Ellen was ranked #86 and Karen #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Ellen was ranked #208 and Karen #442 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.

Ellen and Karen over time

Ellen and Karen appear together in 4 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Karen in 1.

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 Ellen 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

    Ellen and Karen changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #208 and #442.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 81 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ellen and Karen averaged 53.2 places apart, ending at #208 and #442.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Ellen and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #208 and #442.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ellen #63 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025

    Ellen held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Karen in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Ellen #15 in 1955, Karen #57 in 1946.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #208, Karen #442.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2019

    Ellen held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Karen in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Ellen #23 in 2002, Karen #5 in 1977.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Ellen #86, Karen #871.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Karen #417 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Karen #4843.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2010

    Ellen held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Karen in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Ellen #21 in 2000, Karen #133 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2010: Ellen #65, Karen #430.

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 Ellen

Pairs where Ellen 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 — longest-running competitions.

All longest-running competitions→

Other pairs from Norway lists

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

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Ellen, Karen
FieldEllenKaren
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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025)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

  • Ellen and Karen both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Ellen

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #29 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 recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in Norway, in 1955 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · 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