Karin vs May
Karin and Maycompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1976, Karin was ranked #429 and May #497 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Karin was ranked #476 and May #481 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Karin was ranked #3192 and May #654 among girls in England and Wales.
Karin and May over time
Karin and May appear together in 2 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. May held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Karin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Karin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and May 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
Karin and May changed places 14 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #476 and #481.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 79 shared years in Norway · Girls, Karin and May averaged 51.6 places apart, ending at #476 and #481.
- Longest-running competitions
Karin and May were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 79 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #476 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Girls79 shared years, 1945–2025
Karin held the stronger position in 26 of those years, May in 53.
Highest recorded here: Karin #10 in 1945, May #24 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Karin #476, May #481.
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 1996–2021
Karin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, May in 22.
Highest recorded here: Karin #1557 in 1999, May #325 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Karin #3192, May #654.
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 | Karin | May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #476 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Karin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Karin
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #10 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: #10 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #476 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 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: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls