Jolene vs Kiri
Jolene and Kiricompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1976, Jolene was ranked #100 and Kiri #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1989, Jolene was ranked #377 and Kiri #503 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jolene was ranked #1894 and Kiri #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Jolene and Kiri over time
Jolene and Kiri appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Jolene held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kiri in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jolene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Kiri 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
Jolene and Kiri changed places 10 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1894 and #4843.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jolene #869 in 1996, Kiri #820 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Jolene held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Kiri in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jolene #869 in 1996, Kiri #820 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jolene #1894, Kiri #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 | Jolene | Kiri |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A common Maori noun meaning 'skin, bark, rind'; figuratively can also mean 'person, self'. Used as a personal name. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Maori |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkiɾi/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1894 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kiri has a recorded origin (Maori); Jolene does not have one recorded yet.
- Jolene has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Kiri.
- A meaning is recorded for Kiri; Jolene doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Jolene
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #75 among girls in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1975–1979
Highest recorded position: #75 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1975–1979).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Kiri
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #77 among girls in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1975–1976
Highest recorded position: #77 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1975–1976).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls