Namewise

Karen vs Leanne

Karen and Leannecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1986, Karen was ranked #98 and Leanne #95 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1985, Karen was ranked #99 and Leanne #95 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2010, Karen was ranked #430 and Leanne #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2019, Karen was ranked #871 and Leanne #716 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Karen was ranked #4843 and Leanne #2115 among girls in England and Wales.

Karen and Leanne over time

Karen and Leanne appear together in 5 published lists, across 136 years of shared records. Leanne held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Karen in 2.

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 4 of those lists, and Leanne 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

    Karen and Leanne changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1973 and 2019, ending at #871 and #716.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Karen and Leanne averaged 17.3 places apart, ending at #98 and #95.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Karen and Leanne were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1973 to 2019, ending at #871 and #716.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Karen #417 in 1996, Leanne #88 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1973–2019

    Karen held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Leanne in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #5 in 1977, Leanne #26 in 1990.

    The order changed in 2019: Leanne moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #629 and #734; by 2019 that had become #871 and #716.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Karen #871, Leanne #716.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1957–1986

    Karen held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Leanne in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #1 in 1963, Leanne #6 in 1968.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1986: Karen #98, Leanne #95.

  • England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024

    Karen held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Leanne in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #417 in 1996, Leanne #88 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Karen #4843, Leanne #2115.

  • New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 1961–1985

    Karen held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Leanne in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #1 in 1964, Leanne #22 in 1965.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1985: Karen #99, Leanne #95.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1997–2010

    Karen held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Leanne in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #133 in 1997, Leanne #84 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2010: Karen #430, Leanne #366.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Karen

Pairs where Karen shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Leanne

Pairs where Leanne shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1980s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1980 and 1989.

The 1980s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Karen, Leanne
FieldKarenLeanne
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #442 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Karen and Leanne both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Karen

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1986

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1963 (recorded 1952–1986).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #442 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Leanne

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1957

    First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1957–1986

    Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1968 (recorded 1957–1986).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls