Julia vs Katja
Julia and Katjacompared 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 2017, Julia was ranked #59 and Katja #496 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Julia was ranked #93 and Katja #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Julia and Katja over time
Julia and Katja appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Julia held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Katja in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Katja reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Julia 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
Julia and Katja changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1967 and 2017, ending at #59 and #496.
- Longest-running competitions
Julia and Katja were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 46 years, from 1967 to 2017, ending at #59 and #496.
List by list
Norway · Girls46 shared years, 1967–2017
Julia held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Katja in 4.
Highest recorded here: Julia #32 in 2013, Katja #229 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Julia #59, Katja #496.
England and Wales · Girls16 shared years, 1996–2016
Julia held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Katja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Julia #79 in 2012, Katja #1666 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Julia #93, Katja #5785.
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 | Julia | Katja |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The feminine form of the Roman family name Julius — borne by Julia Augusta and Julia the Elder, and by an early Christian martyr and patron saint of Corsica. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | The feminine counterpart within the Roman gens Julia, the family name Julius belonged to | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjʉː.lɪ.a/ | 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 | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #85 (2025) | Norway · Girls #496 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Julia has a recorded origin (The feminine counterpart within the Roman gens Julia, the family name Julius belonged to); Katja does not have one recorded yet.
- Julia and Katja both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Julia; Katja doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Julia
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #345 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1970–2001
Highest recorded position: #26 among girls in New Zealand, in 1983 (recorded 1970–2001).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #85 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Katja
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #515 among girls in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1967–2017
Highest recorded position: #229 among girls in Norway, in 1975 (recorded 1967–2017).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #496 among girls in Norway, in 2017.
Norway · Girls