Given name & surname
Karen
“one who is pure; virginal”·“one who is pure; chaste”
Karen is a form of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.” In English use, Karen has a related form in Karan. One Greek interpretation is “one who is pure; chaste.”
Original GreekΚάρεν
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Greek use, Karen carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.” Karen is a form of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.” In English use, Karen has a related form in Karan. One Greek interpretation is “one who is pure; chaste.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In Danish use, Karen is used as a form of Katherine.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Karen is a form of Katherine. The history of Katherine gives this family its wider story. Katherine’s historical associations include Catherine de’ Medici, wife of King Henry II and regent.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Karen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 990,774
- 2,785 boys · 987,989 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 40,668 babies
- 2025
- 175
- #1,281 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −58%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 175 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,281 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 57.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 40,591 in 1957. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (25). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 882,576 as a first name in 2020; 818 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Karen’s family of names
In Danish usage, Karen is a diminutive of Katharina. In Danish usage, Karen shares a linguistic root with Karin. Karen is a form of Katherine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Karen has relatives in 19 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
28 related names in 19 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 28
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Karinavariant · Polish, Swedish
- Kerenvariant
- Karonvariant
- Katharinafull form · Danish
- Karenavariant
- Karanvariant · English
- Karianavariant
- Kariannavariant
Show 20 moreShow fewer
- Karinvariant · English, German
- Karinevariant · French
- Kerinvariant
- Caronvariant · English
- Karennlikely variant
- Karynevariant · English, French
- Karynvariant · English
- Carynvariant · English
- Karenevariant · English
- Carenvariant · German, English
- Kerrinvariant
- Kerrynvariant
- Kerynvariant
- Keranvariant
- Karnavariant · Swedish
- Karrinvariant
- Karrenvariant
- Kariannevariant
- Kariannvariant
- Karetevariant · Norwegian
Spellings & scripts 6
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 56
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- ΚάρενGreek
- Catalinaequivalent
- Catherineequivalent
- Katieequivalent
- Katerinaequivalent
- Katarinaequivalent
- Catarinaequivalent
- Katiaequivalent
Show 48 moreShow fewer
- Katrinaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
- Kalenaborrowing · Hawaiian
- Katyaequivalent
- Caterinaequivalent
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Kathrineequivalent
- Kaisaequivalent
- Catharinaequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Carinalso known as · French, Swedish
- Kajsaequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Cathrineequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Catrinequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Catharineequivalent
- Kaarenequivalent
- Katriequivalent
- Katrinequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Katrineequivalent
- Carinealso known as · French, Swedish
- قارنequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katariinaequivalent
- Kateřinaequivalent
- Karienequivalent
- Каренequivalent
- Kaalatborrowing · Greenlandic
- Kaðlíndoublet · Icelandic
- Gárenborrowing · Northern Sami
- Katrijnequivalent
- Katarínaequivalent
- Екатеринаequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- کارنPersian
- ԿարէնClassical Armenian
- Ка́ренRussian
- कॅरेनMarathi
- קֶרֶןHebrew
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Karen
- Karen BlixenDanish writer1885–1962
- Karen GillanScottish actress and filmmakerborn 1987
- Lucy HaleAmerican actress and singer (born 1989)
- Karen HorneyAmerican-German psychoanalyst1885–1952
- Karen BlackAmerican actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter (1939-2013)
- Karen UhlenbeckAmerican mathematician (born 1942)
- Karen CarpenterAmerican singer and drummer (1950–1983)
- Karen Armstrongauthor and comparative religion scholar from Great Britainborn 1944
- Karen AllenAmerican actressborn 1951
Characters named Karen: Karen Page (Marvel Comics), Bumblebee (DC Comics character), Karen McCluskey (fictional character on Desperate Housewives), Karen Walker (Will and Grace).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Karen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kay
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Lana is used as a given name and a surname. Lana is connected with Alana.
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Candace
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Kara
“one who is pure” · “dearly loved”
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Kathleen
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Katheryn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Caitríona
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Caesaria
“an empress” · “an emperor; having a full head of hair”
>99% girls