Given name
Karlene
“a small, strong woman”
Karlene is a variant of Karla. In German use, Karla carries the interpretation “a small, strong woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Karlene 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 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Karlene through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,167
- 0 boys · 4,167 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 104 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −36%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 7 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 104 in 1959. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,350 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.
Karlene’s family of names
Karlene has a related form in Karla.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Karlene, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Karen
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1% boys · 99% girls
Carla
“a free woman” · “a small, strong woman”
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Kathlyn
>99% girls
Connie
“one who is steadfast; firm” · “one who is steadfast; constant”
>99% girls