Karine
Karine was the 14039th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked 1538th with 53 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,745 places. More babies were named Karine in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Karen) Danish form of Catherine · Danish, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #14,039 girls, down 2,440 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196653 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,212babies recorded
What does the name Karine mean?
Karine is a spelling of Karen, pronounced the same way, so it shares Karen's meaning and origin.
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)
Karine popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,039 | 6 |
| 2020 | #11,599 | 8 |
| 2010 | #10,112 | 11 |
| 2000 | #5,578 | 20 |
| 1990 | #3,666 | 29 |
| 1980 | #3,095 | 28 |
| 1970 | #3,781 | 16 |
| 1960 | #4,034 | 11 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | #2,853 | 10 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Karine, counting every spelling?
Karine is a spelling of Karen, a name family that ranked #973 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #14,039 for Karine 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 Karine?
6 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Karine (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Karine 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 1,368 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Karine.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Karine?
About 1,100 people born in the US named Karine are alive today, with a median age of 41; half are between 27 and 55. That makes Karine mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Karine: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Karine, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Karine
What does Karine mean?
Karine is a spelling of Karen, which means “Danish form of Catherine” (Danish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Karine?
Karine was the 14039th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked 1538th with 53 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,745 places. More babies were named Karine in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Karine a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Karine in the US.