Karin vs Shirley
Karin and Shirleycompared 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 1979, Karin was ranked #523 and Shirley #111 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Karin was ranked #3192 and Shirley #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Karin and Shirley over time
Karin and Shirley appear together in 2 published lists, across 31 years of shared records. Shirley held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Karin in 0.
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.
Karin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Shirley 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 Shirley changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2021, ending at #3192 and #5581.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Karin #1557 in 1999, Shirley #1107 in 2001.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls21 shared years, 1996–2021
Karin held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Shirley in 14.
Highest recorded here: Karin #1557 in 1999, Shirley #1107 in 2001.
The order changed in 2021: Karin moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #4535 and #2843; by 2021 that had become #3192 and #5581.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Karin #3192, Shirley #5581.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1964–1979
Karin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shirley in 10.
Highest recorded here: Karin #245 in 1964, Shirley #66 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1979: Karin #523, Shirley #111.
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 | Shirley |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #476 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3015 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Karin and Shirley both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Shirley
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #48 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
Highest recorded1954–1964
Highest recorded position: #30 among girls in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1964).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3015 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls