Karina
Karina was the 750th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 363 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 108th; the most babies were born in 1995 (2,985). Over the last ten years it has moved down 290 places. More babies were named Karina in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Scandinavian Katherine; or Latin Carina · Old Norse, Greek, Latin
Say it kuh-REE-nuh /kəˈrinə/
- Rank in 2025
- #750 girls, down 140 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 363girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19952,985 babies
- Total since 1880
- 61,717babies recorded
What does the name Karina mean?
Karina has two sources, according to Wiktionary. In Scandinavia it is an old form of Katherine: Norwegian Karina comes from Old Norse Kaðrina, a later form of Katrina, after sound changes dropped the t. Wiktionary also connects some uses with Carina, a name from Latin carina, the keel of a ship and a southern constellation. Katherine's own origin is uncertain, according to DMNES. Karina has been used in the US since the 1950s.
Kaðrina (Old Norse, “Katrina (Katherine)”)carīna (Latin, “keel”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two sources (Katherine via Old Norse; Latin Carina); Katherine's own origin is uncertain.
Related names: Karin, Katrina, Carina, Katherine.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Karina' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Karina' (Norwegian Bokmål section), 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)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Karina popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 253 since 1977.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #750 | 363 |
| 2020 | #610 | 477 |
| 2010 | #293 | 1,112 |
| 2000 | #159 | 2,133 |
| 1990 | #189 | 1,564 |
| 1980 | #351 | 674 |
| 1970 | #878 | 152 |
| 1960 | #3,145 | 16 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Karina, counting every spelling?
Karina is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #591 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #750 for Karina on its own. Together these spellings went to 503 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karina | 363 | #750 | 1,951 |
| Carina | 134 | #1,572 | 772 |
| Karyna | 6 | #14,043 | 27 |
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 Karina?
363 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Karina (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Karina 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 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Karina.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Karina?
About 60,300 people born in the US named Karina are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 20 and 34. That makes Karina mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Karina by state
How common Karina was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.8×), Washington (1.6×). In 22 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 Karina: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Karina, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Karina · Sibling names for Karina
Questions about the name Karina
What does Karina mean?
Karina is usually explained as “Scandinavian Katherine; or Latin Carina”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Karina?
Karina was the 750th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 363 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 108th; the most babies were born in 1995 (2,985). Over the last ten years it has moved down 290 places. More babies were named Karina in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Karina a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Karina in the US.
Where is Karina most popular?
In 2021–2025, Karina was most common in New Mexico (0.58 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Washington.