Given name & surname
Karlen
“a small, strong woman”
Karlen is a variant of Karla. In German use, Karla carries the interpretation “a small, strong woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Karlen is a variant of Karla. In German use, Karla carries the interpretation “a small, strong woman.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1940. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Karlen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 163
- 16 boys · 147 girls
- Most popular year
- 1992
- 10 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2015. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 10 in 1992. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 497 as a first name in 2020; 919 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.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Karlen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Karly
“a small, strong woman”
>99% girls
Kaylyn
“a beautiful girl from the meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls
Katelyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Kara
“one who is pure” · “dearly loved”
>99% girls
Kaci
“a vigilant man; one who is alert” · “a vigilant woman”
7% boys · 93% girls
Caitlin
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Carly
“a free woman” · “from the farmer's meadow”
>99% girls
Kaila
“crowned with laurel” · “a stylish man”
>99% girls