Kathrin vs Laura
Kathrin and Lauracompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2008, Kathrin was ranked #5545 and Laura #120 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 1990, Kathrin was ranked #660 and Laura #231 among girls in Norway.
Kathrin and Laura over time
Kathrin and Laura appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Laura held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kathrin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Kathrin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Laura 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
Kathrin and Laura changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1964 and 1990, ending at #660 and #231.
List by list
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 1964–1990
Kathrin held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Laura in 16.
Highest recorded here: Kathrin #285 in 1976, Laura #132 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Kathrin #660, Laura #231.
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 | Kathrin | Laura |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Latin 'laurus' meaning 'laurel' — laurel wreaths honoured victors in ancient Rome. Also the subject of 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch's poems. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈlɔɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5545 (2008) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Laura has a recorded origin (Latin); Kathrin does not have one recorded yet.
- Kathrin and Laura both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Laura; Kathrin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Kathrin
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #508 among girls in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–1990
Highest recorded position: #285 among girls in Norway, in 1976 (recorded 1962–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent1990
Most recently recorded at #660 among girls in Norway, in 1990.
Norway · Girls
Laura
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #313 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls