Namewise

Karen vs Sharon

Karen and Sharoncompared 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 Zealand · Girls

    In 1981, Karen was ranked #34 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1982, Karen was ranked #41 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2001, Karen was ranked #94 and Sharon #512 among girls in Norway.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

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

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

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

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Karen was ranked #4843 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.

Karen and Sharon over time

Karen and Sharon appear together in 5 published lists, across 164 years of shared records. Karen held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sharon 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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.

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 Sharon changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #4843 and #2000.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Karen and Sharon averaged 14.8 places apart, ending at #41 and #88.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Karen and Sharon were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 31 years, from 1952 to 1982, ending at #41 and #88.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Karen #417 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2019

    Karen held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Sharon in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #5 in 1977, Sharon #5 in 1970.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Karen #871, Sharon #871.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls31 shared years, 1952–1982

    Karen held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Sharon in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #1 in 1963, Sharon #2 in 1965.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1982: Karen #41, Sharon #88.

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

    Karen held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sharon in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #417 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2021: Sharon moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1773 and #1939; by 2021 that had become #3192 and #1962.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Karen #4843, Sharon #2000.

  • New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981

    Karen held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Sharon in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #1 in 1957, Sharon #5 in 1964.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1981: Karen #34, Sharon #78.

  • Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1961–2001

    Karen held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sharon in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Karen #72 in 1997, Sharon #354 in 1980.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2001: Karen #94, Sharon #512.

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 Sharon

Pairs where Sharon 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, Sharon
FieldKarenSharon
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew (place name origin)
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈʃæɹ.ən/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #442 (2025)Scotland · Girls #638 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Karen does not have one recorded yet.
  • Karen and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Karen doesn't have one written yet.
  • 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 #442 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Sharon

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1952–1982

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls