Ingrid vs Karen
Ingrid 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, Ingrid was ranked #15 and Karen #442 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Ingrid was ranked #873 and Karen #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ingrid was ranked #1262 and Karen #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Ingrid and Karen over time
Ingrid and Karen appear together in 3 published lists, across 143 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ingrid in 1.
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 2 of those lists, Ingrid in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Ingrid and Karen were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #15 and #442.
List by list
Norway · Girls81 shared years, 1945–2025
Ingrid held the stronger position in 81 of those years, Karen in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ingrid #1 in 1997, Karen #57 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ingrid #15, Karen #442.
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2017
Ingrid held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Karen in 34.
Highest recorded here: Ingrid #189 in 1971, Karen #5 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ingrid #873, Karen #471.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Ingrid held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Karen in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ingrid #734 in 2021, Karen #417 in 1996.
The order changed in 2015: Ingrid moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #1628 and #1411; by 2015 that had become #1007 and #1405.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ingrid #1262, Karen #4843.
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 | Ingrid | Karen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'Ing is beautiful' or 'beloved of Ing'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old Norse | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɪŋɡrɪd/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Inger | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #15 (2025) | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Ingrid has a recorded origin (Old Norse); Karen does not have one recorded yet.
- Ingrid and Karen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ingrid; Karen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Ingrid a "high" Data Confidence level and Karen a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ingrid
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #27 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: #1 among girls in Norway, in 1997 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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