Karl vs Rafal
Karl and Rafalcompared 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 · Boys
In 2000, Karl was ranked #105 and Rafal #567 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Karl was ranked #308 and Rafal #699 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Karl was ranked #1407 and Rafal #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Karl and Rafal over time
Karl and Rafal appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Karl held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rafal in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Karl and Rafal were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 30 years, from 1968 to 2000, ending at #105 and #567.
List by list
Norway · Boys30 shared years, 1968–2000
Karl held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Rafal in 1.
Highest recorded here: Karl #65 in 1980, Rafal #79 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Karl #105, Rafal #567.
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 2005–2023
Karl held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Rafal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Karl #284 in 2005, Rafal #1175 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Karl #1407, Rafal #4107.
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 | Karl | Rafal |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #179 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Karl has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rafal.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Karl
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #35 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1962–1994
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in New Zealand, in 1973 (recorded 1962–1994).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #179 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Rafal
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #514 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2000
Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in Norway, in 1975 (recorded 1968–2000).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys