Kara vs Katelyn
Kara and Katelyncompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Kara was ranked #336 and Katelyn #243 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Kara was ranked #413 and Katelyn #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Kara was ranked #885 and Katelyn #2411 among girls in England and Wales.
Kara and Katelyn over time
Kara and Katelyn appear together in 3 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Kara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Katelyn in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Katelyn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Kara 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
Kara and Katelyn changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2019, ending at #336 and #243.
- Longest-running competitions
Kara and Katelyn were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #413 and #273.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1989–2025
Kara held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Katelyn in 27.
Highest recorded here: Kara #165 in 2015, Katelyn #35 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kara #413, Katelyn #273.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kara held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Katelyn in 7.
Highest recorded here: Kara #186 in 2011, Katelyn #185 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kara #885, Katelyn #2411.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2019
Kara held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Katelyn in 11.
Highest recorded here: Kara #93 in 2006, Katelyn #60 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Kara #336, Katelyn #243.
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 | Kara | Katelyn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #273 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Katelyn.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Kara
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #396 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2023
Highest recorded position: #93 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 1997–2023).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Katelyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #503 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1989–2025
Highest recorded position: #35 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1989–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls