Namewise

Karen vs Paula

Karen and Paulacompared 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 1976, Karen was ranked #10 and Paula #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1984, Karen was ranked #89 and Paula #93 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2019, Karen was ranked #871 and Paula #421 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

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

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Karen was ranked #442 and Paula #521 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Karen was ranked #2440 and Paula #1584 among girls in England and Wales.

Karen and Paula over time

Karen and Paula appear together in 6 published lists, across 220 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Paula in 1.

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 Paula 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 Paula changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #2440 and #1584.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 27 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Karen and Paula averaged 40.3 places apart, ending at #89 and #93.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Karen and Paula were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #442 and #521.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Karen #417 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025

    Karen held the stronger position in 80 of those years, Paula in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #57 in 1946, Paula #214 in 1949.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Karen #442, Paula #521.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2019

    Karen held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Paula in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #5 in 1977, Paula #15 in 1979.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Karen #871, Paula #421.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025

    Karen held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Paula in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #417 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2011: Paula moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #988 and #1294; by 2011 that had become #1374 and #858.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Karen #2440, Paula #1584.

  • New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1954–1984

    Karen held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Paula in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #1 in 1957, Paula #15 in 1970.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1984: Karen #89, Paula #93.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 1952–1976

    Karen held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Paula in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #1 in 1963, Paula #62 in 1971.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1976: Karen #10, Paula #98.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1997–2010

    Karen held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Paula in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #133 in 1997, Paula #172 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2010: Karen #430, Paula #430.

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 Paula

Pairs where Paula 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 — repeatedly exchanged positions.

All repeatedly exchanged positions→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

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

Republic of Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Karen, Paula
FieldKarenPaula
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 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, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #442 (2025)Norway · Girls #521 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Karen and Paula both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, 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 #2440 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Paula

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #264 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 recorded1954–1984

    Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1584 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls