Katrine vs Samantha
Katrine and Samanthacompared 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 1974, Katrine was ranked #490 and Samantha #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2007, Katrine was ranked #5201 and Samantha #147 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2020, Katrine was ranked #382 and Samantha #328 among girls in Norway.
Katrine and Samantha over time
Katrine and Samantha appear together in 1 published list, across 36 years of shared records. Katrine held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Samantha 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.
Katrine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Samantha 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
Katrine and Samantha changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1969 and 2020, ending at #382 and #328.
- Longest-running competitions
Katrine and Samantha were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 36 years, from 1969 to 2020, ending at #382 and #328.
List by list
Norway · Girls36 shared years, 1969–2020
Katrine held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Samantha in 6.
Highest recorded here: Katrine #40 in 1992, Samantha #298 in 2015.
The order changed in 2018: Samantha moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #483 and #492; by 2018 that had become #519 and #378.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Katrine #382, Samantha #328.
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 Samantha
Pairs where Samantha shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Samantha vs Alice
In 1996 they stood at #32 and #25 in England and Wales · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #778 and #52.
Samantha · Alice · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samantha vs Eleanor
In 1996 they stood at #32 and #22 in England and Wales · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #778 and #56.
Samantha · Eleanor · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samantha vs Elizabeth
In 1996 they stood at #32 and #26 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #778 and #74.
Samantha · Elizabeth · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samantha vs Zoe
In 1996 they stood at #32 and #31 in England and Wales · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #778 and #104.
Samantha · Zoe · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Katrine | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #382 (2020) | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samantha has a recorded origin (Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin)); Katrine does not have one recorded yet.
- Katrine and Samantha both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samantha; Katrine doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Katrine
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #398 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1951–2020
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in Norway, in 1992 (recorded 1951–2020).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #382 among girls in Norway, in 2020.
Norway · Girls
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls