The first name Karen
A girl’s name from Danish.
Pronounced /ˈkæɹən/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Danish origin
From Danish Karen, a vernacular form of Catherine that emerged in medieval Denmark. The term later acquired a distinct contemporary social meaning. Its association with a middle-aged woman is often attributed to the name’s relative popularity among baby boomer and Generation X cohorts. The term’s derogatory usage was subsequently popularized through African-American Vernacular English (AAVE).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 11 girls were named Karen, making it the 2,440th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 76 births (#417).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Karen with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Karen at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 175 girls born in the United States were named Karen, the 1,281st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1957, when 40,591 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Karen in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Karen in Portuguese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Karen
171 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Karen BlixenDanish writer, 1885–1962
- Karen HorneyAmerican-German psychoanalyst, 1885–1952
- 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 Britain, born 1944
- Karen AllenAmerican actress, born 1951
- Karen L. NybergAmerican astronaut, born 1969
- Karen BassAmerican politician and 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles, born 1953
- Karen FukuharaAmerican actress (born 1992)
- Karen MulderDutch model and singer, born 1969
- Karen BardsleyAmerican-English footballer, born 1984
Questions
- What does the name Karen mean?
- From Danish Karen, a vernacular form of Catherine that emerged in medieval Denmark. The term later acquired a distinct contemporary social meaning. Its association with a middle-aged woman is often attributed to the name’s relative popularity among baby boomer and Generation X…
- What is the origin of the name Karen?
- From Danish Karen, a vernacular form of Catherine that emerged in medieval Denmark. The term later acquired a distinct contemporary social meaning. Its association with a middle-aged woman is often attributed to the name’s relative popularity among baby boomer and Generation X cohorts. The term’s…
- How popular is the name Karen?
- In 2025, 11 girls born in England and Wales were named Karen, ranking 2,440th. Its peak was 1996, with 76 births.
- Is Karen a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 990,774 US babies named Karen since 1880 were girls.
- When was Karen most popular?
- 1957 in the United States, when 40,591 babies were named Karen, its highest rank at 5th.
- How do you pronounce Karen?
- Karen is /ˈkæɹən/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Karen?
- Caren, Caron, Caryn, Karin, Karyn and Garen.