Karen

Karen is a girl's name of German origin. Its meaning is not recorded in the standard references we check — we would rather tell you that plainly than guess. In 2024 it was given to 184 girls in the United States.

Karen at a glance

Gender
Girl name
Origin
German · English & American · Irish & Celtic · Scandinavian
Meaning
Not recorded in standard references
Pronunciation
/ˈkæɹən/

About the name Karen

Karen belongs to the German and English & American tradition. Its roots are documented, even though its precise meaning is not recorded in the standard references — an honest gap we prefer to a confident guess.

In the United States, Karen first appears in Social Security records in 1881. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #3 in 1965, and in 2024 184 babies received the name — 987,811 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Karen in US records

First recorded (US)
1881
Best US rank
#3 in 1965
Peak year
1957
Babies named Karen in 2024
184
Total since 1880
987,811

Similar names

More names from the German shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Karen mean?

The meaning of Karen is not recorded in the standard references we check. Rather than repeat an unsourced claim, we leave it open — its German origin is documented, but its exact meaning is not.

Is Karen a boy or girl name?

Karen is a girl name. In 2024, 184 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Karen?

Karen comes from the German, English & American, Irish & Celtic and Scandinavian tradition.

How popular is the name Karen?

Karen first appears in US records in 1881. Its best-ever ranking was #3 in 1965, and 184 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Karen?

Karen is pronounced /ˈkæɹən/ (IPA).

Share this name

Put the Karen name card on your own site or blog — free, with the code below. It keeps a small credit link back to this page.

<iframe src="https://namepetal.com/embed/karen/" width="100%" height="330" style="border:0;max-width:460px" loading="lazy" title="Karen name card — NamePetal"></iframe>

Card by NamePetal.

Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.