Grainne vs Karin
Grainne and Karincompared 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 2000, Grainne was ranked #52 and Karin #536 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Grainne was ranked #5493 and Karin #4535 among girls in England and Wales.
Grainne and Karin over time
Grainne and Karin appear together in 2 published lists, across 27 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Grainne and Karin changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2020, ending at #5493 and #4535.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Grainne #1234 in 1997, Karin #1557 in 1999.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls16 shared years, 1996–2020
Grainne held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Karin in 8.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #1234 in 1997, Karin #1557 in 1999.
The order changed in 2008: Karin moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #2627 and #5201; by 2008 that had become #4524 and #2150.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Grainne #5493, Karin #4535.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1964–2000
Grainne held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Karin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #52 in 1965, Karin #245 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Grainne #52, Karin #536.
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 | Grainne | Karin |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #407 (2024) | Norway · Girls #476 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Grainne and Karin both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Grainne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #62 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #407 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Karin
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #10 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: #10 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #476 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls