Eva vs Karen
Eva 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, Eva was ranked #14 and Karen #430 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Eva was ranked #22 and Karen #442 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Eva was ranked #38 and Karen #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eva was ranked #54 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Eva and Karen over time
Eva and Karen appear together in 4 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Eva held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Karen in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 4 of those lists, and Eva 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Eva moved ahead of Karen in Northern Ireland · Girls — #147 and #133 the year before became #98 and #145.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eva and Karen changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #22 and #442.
- Longest-running competitions
Eva and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #22 and #442.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Eva held the stronger position in 67 of those years, Karen in 14.
Highest recorded here: Eva #6 in 1952, Karen #57 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eva #22, Karen #442.
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2019
Eva held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Karen in 34.
Highest recorded here: Eva #37 in 2016, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order changed in 1998: Eva moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #68 and #61; by 1998 that had become #66 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Eva #38, Karen #871.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Eva held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Karen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Eva #24 in 2012, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eva #54, Karen #4843.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2010
Eva held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Karen in 1.
Highest recorded here: Eva #9 in 2008, Karen #133 in 1997.
The order changed in 1998: Eva moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #147 and #133; by 1998 that had become #98 and #145.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Eva #14, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Eva | Karen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A form of Eve used across many languages, from the Hebrew root 'hawa'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeh.vah/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #22 (2025) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eva has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Karen does not have one recorded yet.
- Eva and Karen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Eva; Karen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Eva
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #8 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #80 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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