Karen
Karen was the 1281st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 175 babies. Its best year was 1965, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1957 (40,591). Over the last ten years it has moved down 776 places. More babies were named Karen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning Danish form of Catherine · Danish, Greek
Say it KAIR-un /ˈkɛɹən/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,281 girls, down 460 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 175girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195740,591 babies
- Total since 1880
- 990,774babies recorded
What does the name Karen mean?
Karen is a Danish vernacular form of Catherine that emerged in medieval Denmark, as Wiktionary notes. Catherine comes from Greek Aikaterinē, of uncertain origin; DMNES notes it is unrelated to Greek katharos 'pure', despite the later spelling Katharina. Karen came into American use in the 1920s and was very common in the 1950s and 1960s. Since about 2018 the name has also been used as slang for a demanding, entitled woman. Armenian Karen, a men's name, is unrelated.
Karen (Danish, “Catherine”)Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterinē) (Ancient Greek, “Catherine”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: Catherine means 'pure'.
Related names: Catherine, Karin, Caren, Karena.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Karen', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Katherine', DMNES (Durham University)
Karen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,785 since 1935.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,281 | 175 |
| 2020 | #821 | 332 |
| 2010 | #248 | 1,288 |
| 2000 | #153 | 2,174 |
| 1990 | #120 | 2,716 |
| 1980 | #54 | 5,055 |
| 1970 | #12 | 16,699 |
| 1960 | #4 | 36,378 |
| 1950 | #12 | 24,132 |
| 1940 | #34 | 7,283 |
| 1930 | #689 | 100 |
| 1920 | #1,179 | 42 |
| 1910 | #1,473 | 11 |
| 1900 | #1,505 | 8 |
| 1890 | #747 | 14 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Karen, counting every spelling?
Karen is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #973 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,281 for Karen on its own. Together these spellings went to 247 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen | 175 | #1,281 | 1,015 |
| Keren | 66 | #2,632 | 478 |
| Karine | 6 | #14,039 | 29 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Karen?
175 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Karen (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Karen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 48 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Karen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Karen?
About 790,800 people born in the US named Karen are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 58 and 72. That makes Karen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Karen by state
How common Karen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.7×), Pennsylvania (2.1×), New Jersey (1.9×), Ohio (1.7×). In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Karen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Karen, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Karen · Sibling names for Karen
Questions about the name Karen
What does Karen mean?
Karen means “Danish form of Catherine” (Danish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Karen?
Karen was the 1281st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 175 babies. Its best year was 1965, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1957 (40,591). Over the last ten years it has moved down 776 places. More babies were named Karen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Karen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Karen in the US.
Where is Karen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Karen was most common in Maryland (0.34 per 1,000 girls), followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey.