Karen

Karen - A very unique male name



  Nov 07,2026      Abigail Adams, Editorial writer   

Karen at a glance

Karen is ranked #3178 among boy baby names in 2000, with 6 births in 2000. It peaked in 1942 at #795 and first appeared on the charts in 1940.

Rank in 2000
#3178
Births in 2000
6
Peak year
1942 (#795)
First appeared
1940
Trend
#2670 in 1995 → #3178 in 2000 (Falling)
Popularity
1 in 294,906 boys
Visitor rating
4.9/5 (13 recent votes)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026

Karen appeared on the charts for the first time in 1940 on position #1154. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Karen and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Karen? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Karen. The baby boy name Karen was given to 6 baby boys in 2000, ranking #3178 on the national boy baby name top chart.

Must Try: Find A Perfect Name Based On Your Last Name...

With that position 1 in 294,906 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Karen peaked in popularity 84 years ago in 1942 on position 795.



Famous with this name

Karen Gillan
Karen Allen
Karen Fukuhara


How would you rate Karen, 1-5?

Rating: 4.9/5 (13 recent votes)


Karen is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Karen is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,042 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,042.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Karen is where you live.


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Karen origin and meaning

Karen is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables. We couldn't find any information about what this name means. To see famous people named Karen, pop culture references for the name Karen and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Karen

We've found the following names that sound similar to Karen, sorted by popularity.

Kareem / Kieran / Karim / Kyren / Kyron / Kiran / Karon / Kyran / Kyrin / Karam /

Name statistics


Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)



Chart position per state (visualized)



Chart position per year (table view)


Year Rank
20003178
19993510
19973342
19962717
19952670
19942583
19931771
19921986
19912226
19902849
19891631
19882159
19871778
19852000
19842429
19821887
19782179
19751718
19741968
19731689
19721415
19711243
19701242
1969995
19671039
19661166
1965855
1964864
1963923
1962836
1961915
1960907
1959898
19581112
1957934
1956905
19551490
19541495
19531068
19511637
19501468
19491644
19471518
1945912
19441085
1943868
1942795
1941831
19401154

Chart position per state (table view)


State Rank
California2042

Even more about Karen


These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Karen a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Karen?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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New data stories


#
On chart
1942
Peak year
Male


Popularity Score™

Name Karen
Gender Male
Popularity 1 in 294,906
Letter count 5
Syllable count 2
Year first discovered 1940
2000 births +6

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