Karen vs Lilli
Karen and Lillicompared 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, Karen was ranked #442 and Lilli #283 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Karen was ranked #430 and Lilli #430 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Karen was ranked #871 and Lilli #716 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Karen was ranked #4843 and Lilli #2411 among girls in England and Wales.
Karen and Lilli over time
Karen and Lilli appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, and Lilli 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2022, Lilli moved ahead of Karen in Norway · Girls — #265 and #278 the year before became #358 and #190.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Karen and Lilli changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #4843 and #2411.
- Longest-running competitions
Karen and Lilli were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 48 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #442 and #283.
List by list
Norway · Girls48 shared years, 1945–2025
Karen held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Lilli in 7.
Highest recorded here: Karen #57 in 1946, Lilli #182 in 2016.
The order changed in 2022: Lilli moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #265 and #278; by 2022 that had become #358 and #190.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Karen #442, Lilli #283.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Karen held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lilli in 18.
Highest recorded here: Karen #417 in 1996, Lilli #359 in 2004.
The order changed in 2021: Lilli moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1773 and #1846; by 2021 that had become #3192 and #3192.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Karen #4843, Lilli #2411.
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 | Karen | Lilli |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #442 (2025) | Norway · Girls #283 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Karen and Lilli both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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
Lilli
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #347 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: #182 among girls in Norway, in 2016 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #283 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls