Given name

Careen

Careen has a possible literary starting point, although the way the name was formed is less certain.

Meaning & origin

Where it comes from

A possible origin is Irish, although the derivation remains uncertain.

The story

Careen appears as one of Scarlett O’Hara’s sisters in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. This seems to be the name’s first appearance, although its construction remains uncertain.

Careen through the years

Babies since 1880
213
0 boys · 213 girls
Most popular year
1962
10 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
—
Too few births to compare
0246819401960198020002025Highest share 19760.0
Careen in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1936–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 1993. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 10 in 1962. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 401 as a first name in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Careen’s family of names

In English usage, Careen has a conventional equivalent in the German form Carina.

Walk Careen’s family in the name graph

CareenKareenCarina

Inner ring: spellings · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 1

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

See also 2

Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.

Similar names

If you love Careen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Scottish · Literary

Janet

“God is gracious”

34RareCooling

>99% girls

Gaelic · Literary

Darcy

“having dark features”

53UncommonRising

6% boys · 94% girls

Gaelic · Literary

Myrna

“one who is much loved”

0Not recently recordedCooling

>99% girls

Literary

Janeen

“God is gracious”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Literary

Sharin

“rose of Sharon” · “from the plains; a flowering shrub”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Literary

Darsie

“a dark beauty” · “having dark features”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Literary

Gerilynn

“one who rules with the spear”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Literary

Darcee

“having dark features” · “a dark beauty”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Careen’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Careen

A sister for Careen