Karen

Meaning: Possibly each of the two; popularly linked to pure
Origin: Danish (from Greek via French) — Variant of Catherine · Greek; etymology debated

Girl's name · #1281 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Karen reached its best rank, #3, in 1965 and ranked #1281 in 2025. About 988,000 girls have carried it since 1881.

See where Karen is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 21 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

See how Karen ranks in other countries and regions.

#179 in Ecuador (2025) · #270 in Mexico (2024) · #442 in Norway (2025) · #2,516 in England & Wales (2025) · #2,353 in Canada (2024).

Karen Blixen — Danish writer
Karen Gillan — Scottish actress and filmmaker
Karen Horney — American-German psychoanalyst
Karen Black — American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter (1939–2013)
Karen Uhlenbeck — American mathematician (born 1942)

Among 3,221 notable people named Karen:

No single standout — notable Karens spread across many fields.

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.