Hanna vs Karen
Hanna 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Hanna was ranked #53 and Karen #442 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Hanna was ranked #99 and Karen #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Hanna was ranked #160 and Karen #430 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Hanna was ranked #352 and Karen #2440 among girls in England and Wales.
Hanna and Karen over time
Hanna and Karen appear together in 3 published lists, across 154 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Hanna 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 3 of those lists, and Hanna 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 1987, Hanna moved ahead of Karen in Norway · Girls — #113 and #105 the year before became #85 and #102.
- Longest-running competitions
Hanna and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #53 and #442.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Hanna held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Karen in 41.
Highest recorded here: Hanna #22 in 2004, Karen #57 in 1946.
The order changed in 1987: Hanna moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #113 and #105; by 1987 that had become #85 and #102.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hanna #53, Karen #442.
Republic of Ireland · Girls44 shared years, 1964–2019
Hanna held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Karen in 31.
Highest recorded here: Hanna #86 in 2013, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order changed in 2007: Hanna moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #398 and #277; by 2007 that had become #222 and #233.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Hanna #99, Karen #871.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Hanna held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Karen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hanna #141 in 2016, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hanna #352, 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 | Hanna | 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 | Norway · Girls #53 (2025) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hanna and Karen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Hanna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #164 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: #22 among girls in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 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