Girl
Karen
pure
About Karen
Classic and straightforward, Karen represents traditional naming sensibility. This name has dressed generations of women, proving its fundamental staying power despite recent cultural complications. Karen's simplicity is architectural—strong foundational structure supporting decades of use. The name requires no explanation, no spelling assistance, no pronunciation guide. It works across cultures and languages with remarkable adaptability. Karen may currently face unfair cultural baggage, but names are ultimately defined by the individuals who bear them, not by internet memes or temporary cultural phenomena. For parents who appreciate timeless classics and refuse to let trends dictate their choices, Karen remains a solid, dignified option.
Popularity of the Name Karen
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | #786 | ||||
| 1885 | #715 | ||||
| 1886 | #802 | ||||
| 1887 | #822 | ||||
| 1889 | #872 | ||||
| 1890 | #747 | ||||
| 1892 | #984 | ||||
| 1894 | #978 | ||||
| 1906 | #940 | ||||
| 1912 | #966 | ||||
| 1918 | #964 | ||||
| 1926 | #953 | ||||
| 1928 | #818 | ||||
| 1929 | #801 | ||||
| 1930 | #689 | ||||
| 1931 | #536 | ||||
| 1932 | #367 | ||||
| 1933 | #283 | ||||
| 1934 | #258 | ||||
| 1935 | #172 | ||||
| 1936 | #132 | ||||
| 1937 | #113 | ||||
| 1938 | #50 | ||||
| 1939 | #39 | #178 | |||
| 1940 | #34 | #237 | |||
| 1941 | #19 | #155 | |||
| 1942 | #16 | #126 | |||
| 1943 | #15 | #119 | |||
| 1944 | #16 | #85 | |||
| 1945 | #16 | #82 | |||
| 1946 | #15 | #65 | |||
| 1947 | #13 | #39 | |||
| 1948 | #12 | #35 | |||
| 1949 | #11 | #35 | |||
| 1950 | #12 | #22 | |||
| 1951 | #8 | #23 | |||
| 1952 | #8 | #18 | |||
| 1953 | #9 | #14 | |||
| 1954 | #8 | #14 | |||
| 1955 | #8 | #6 | |||
| 1956 | #7 | #3 | |||
| 1957 | #5 | #1 | |||
| 1958 | #4 | #2 | |||
| 1959 | #4 | #2 | |||
| 1960 | #4 | #2 | |||
| 1961 | #5 | #2 | |||
| 1962 | #4 | #2 | |||
| 1963 | #4 | #2 | |||
| 1964 | #4 | #1 | #41 | ||
| 1965 | #3 | #1 | #28 | ||
| 1966 | #5 | #2 | #27 | ||
| 1967 | #6 | #1 | #28 | ||
| 1968 | #9 | #2 | #20 | ||
| 1969 | #13 | #3 | #16 | ||
| 1970 | #12 | #3 | #16 | ||
| 1971 | #15 | #6 | #17 | ||
| 1972 | #21 | #9 | #14 | ||
| 1973 | #23 | #10 | #14 | ||
| 1974 | #26 | #13 | #12 | ||
| 1975 | #27 | #14 | #14 | ||
| 1976 | #31 | #16 | #7 | ||
| 1977 | #32 | #16 | #5 | ||
| 1978 | #39 | #21 | #9 | ||
| 1979 | #46 | #27 | #9 | ||
| 1980 | #54 | #42 | #10 | ||
| 1981 | #64 | #34 | #9 | ||
| 1982 | #68 | #53 | #16 | ||
| 1983 | #77 | #61 | #9 | ||
| 1984 | #82 | #89 | #9 | ||
| 1985 | #87 | #98 | #15 | ||
| 1986 | #100 | #100 | #19 | ||
| 1987 | #107 | #152 | #22 | ||
| 1988 | #111 | #145 | #19 | ||
| 1989 | #110 | #171 | #19 | ||
| 1990 | #120 | #164 | #19 | ||
| 1991 | #122 | #174 | #21 | #135 | |
| 1992 | #121 | #261 | #25 | #147 | |
| 1993 | #116 | #208 | #32 | #148 | |
| 1994 | #128 | #182 | #40 | #148 | |
| 1995 | #142 | #202 | #43 | #176 | |
| 1996 | #133 | #383 | #63 | #185 | |
| 1997 | #142 | #345 | #205 | #61 | #190 |
| 1998 | #152 | #394 | #240 | #69 | #217 |
| 1999 | #149 | #492 | #306 | #89 | #239 |
| 2000 | #153 | #492 | #227 | #83 | #250 |
| 2001 | #148 | #491 | #116 | #231 | |
| 2002 | #150 | #549 | #348 | #179 | #285 |
| 2003 | #141 | #598 | #259 | #135 | #315 |
| 2004 | #155 | #596 | #298 | #180 | #294 |
| 2005 | #164 | #626 | #321 | #290 | #344 |
| 2006 | #173 | #696 | #334 | #446 | |
| 2007 | #165 | #741 | #405 | #237 | #433 |
| 2008 | #187 | #917 | #301 | #540 | |
| 2009 | #231 | #945 | #372 | #500 | |
| 2010 | #248 | #948 | #489 | #570 | |
| 2011 | #287 | #486 | #504 | ||
| 2012 | #354 | #531 | #581 | ||
| 2013 | #416 | #694 | #610 | ||
| 2014 | #494 | #698 | #677 | ||
| 2015 | #505 | #387 | #863 | ||
| 2016 | #508 | #801 | #716 | ||
| 2017 | #556 | #503 | #985 | ||
| 2018 | #637 | #657 | |||
| 2019 | #662 | #936 | #983 | ||
| 2020 | #821 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Karen
Names Similar to Karen
Nicknames for Karen
- Kare
- Kar
- Kari
- Ren
Famous People Named Karen
| Karen Carpenter | American singer |
| Karen Gillan | Scottish actress |
| Karen Allen | American actress |
| Karen Black | American actress |
| Karen Fukuhara | American actress |
| Karen Horney | German-American psychoanalyst |
| Karen Hughes | American political advisor |
| Karen Malina White | American actress |
| Karen McDougal | American model |
| Karen Mulder | Dutch model |
| Karen Nyberg | American astronaut |
| Karen Silkwood | American labor union activist |
| Karen Steele | American actress |
| Karen Valentine | American actress |
Characters Named Karen
| Karen Walker | American character from "Will & Grace" |
| Karen Page | Character from Marvel Comics |
| Karen Smith | Character from "Mean Girls" |
| Karen van der Beek | Character from "Outnumbered" |
| Karen Brewer | Character from "The Baby-Sitters Club" |
| Karen Davis | Character from "The Grudge" |