Karen name meaning

By
Updated: May 30th, 2024
Gender: Girl
Origin: Old Greek, Latin and Nordic
Usage: Arabic, English, Hindi, German, Scandinavian, Dutch, Icelandic, Greenlandic, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu
Pronunciation: k(a)-ren
Meaning: Pure, Clear, Dear and Abbreviation of Katherine
Add to favorites

What does Karen mean?

The name Karen is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew, the meaning of Karen is "pure." The name Karen is also Greek in origin. According to the Book of Judges in the Old Testament, Karen was the wife of Samson.

She was seduced by one of Samson's enemies and betrayed him, leading to his capture and imprisonment.

There are many famous people named Karen. Here are just a few:

Karen Carpenter was a hugely successful pop singer in the 1970s.

Her tragic death at just 32 years old made her an even more iconic figure.

Karen Black was a prolific actress who appeared in over 100 films and TV shows. She won multiple awards for her work, including a Golden Globe.

Karen O is the lead singer of the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

She has also acted in several films, including Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are."

Karenina is the main character in Leo Tolstoy's classic novel "Anna Karenina." She is bursting with passion and vitality, making her one of literature's most unforgettable heroines.

If you're looking for a strong yet feminine name for your baby girl, Karen might be the perfect choice.

With its origins in Norse mythology, Karen means "pure" or "chaste", making it a beautiful name with a lot of meaning behind it. Additionally, Karen is a popular name that has stood the test of time - it's been in the top 100 most popular girl names in the United States for over 50 years.

So if you're looking for a classic and timeless baby name, Karen is definitely one to consider.

ALSO READ :  From the Vaults: 1966's Top 10 Baby Names

How do I pronounce Karen?

k(a)-ren is the most common way to pronounce two syllabled Karen.

Variants of Karen

Caren, Karin, Carena, Carina, Corinna, Karine, Karra, Anakaren, Karenlee, Anna, Ananias, Anianus, Ana, Katharina, Carine, Aikaterine, Cateline, Catharina, Ecaterina, Cara, Carrine, Karina, Caitlin, Cate, Catheryn, Karolina, Carin

Nicknames for Karen

Plethora of nicknames available for the given name Karen include:

Names that rhyme with Karen

How popular is the name Karen?

Karen is an extremely popular in United States where over 988889 new-borns have been given the name since 1881. At present the name is rising, in 1965, the moniker grabbed the 3rd spot and 40588 baby girls were given the name.

Moreover, the first name has been to the top 5 baby names 10 times Also, Karen was a popular name in Ireland. Over 12050 babies have been given the moniker in 58 years.

When at its peak in 1977, the moniker grabbed the 5th spot and 570 baby girls were given the name. However the graph is now showing a downward trend after 58 years.

In addition to that, the name has been in the top 5 baby names 1 times Also, Karen was a popular name in France. Over 13842 babies have been given the first name in 73 years.

At its zenith in 1975, 938 girls were bestowed the name and it was ranked at 74th position. But after 73 years, the name has lost its appeal a bit and is now ranking low.

In addition to that, the moniker has been in the top 100 baby names 4 times Also, Karen was a popular name in New South Wales. Over 21574 babies have been named Karen since 1952.

At the peak of its usage in 1963, it ranked 1st when 1109 parents chose the moniker for their baby girls. After 34 years of usage, the name has fallen out of the charts.

In addition to that, the moniker has been in the top 5 baby names 15 times Also, Karen was a popular name in Queensland. Over 7877 babies have been named Karen since 1960.

At the peak of its usage in 1960, it ranked 1st when 639 parents chose the moniker for their baby girls. After 25 years of usage, the name has fallen out of the charts.

In addition to that, the first name has been in the top 5 baby names 14 times

Karen used to be a common name in Western Australia, first appeared in 1955 and over 3165 babies have been given the name in 19 years.

At its zenith in 1964,. After 19 years of usage, the name has fallen out of the charts. Additionally, the name has been in the top 5 baby names 13 times Karen is a familiar baby name in England and Wales, it has been in use since 1996 and was able to reach the top 500 names.

In 1996, it achieved its highest ever ranking of 417 on girl names chart when 76 babies were given the name Karen. Over 816 people have been named Karen in England and Wales.

Also, in Belgium, the name has been in use since 1995 and has secured the place in top 200 names. In 1997, it achieved its highest ever ranking of 115 on girl names chart when 97 babies were given the name Karen.

There are over 682 babies that have been given the name Karen in Belgium.

However things change on global perspective, Karen is extremely popular in England where every 1 in 200 have the name as well as in Canada.

Also the baby name is popular in Philippines, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Armenia, Scotland, Honduras, Denmark, Ecuador, Peru, Germany, New Zealand, Colombia, Venezuela, Russia, Israel, Netherlands, Kenya, Costa Rica, Wales, Nicaragua, Ghana, Mozambique, Guatemala, El Salvador, Malaysia, Bolivia, Egypt, Norway, Northern Ireland, Jamaica, Sudan, Madagascar, Dominican Republic, Uzbekistan, Spain and East Timor.

As per our evaluation, over 3090000 babies have been bestowed Karen around the globe.

YearBoysGirls
RankBirthsRankBirths
20231219051092224
2022001220196
2021001088226
2020105636826329
2019107856661439
201800635469
201796807557552
201600508616
2015120775505626
201400494632
View more ▾View full list ▾[1] Source: Social Security Administration

Facts

Karen in Nordic countries

CountriesMenWomen
First NameSecondary NameFirst NameSecondary Name
Netherlands52341471152
Finland3300505

Here's what numbers has to say about Karen

You push yourself to your limits and beyond. You sleep a lot because it's your way of escaping reality. You get disappointed when you realize that most people worry more about social appearances rather than personal growth. You never take a leap of faith but do things with a plan. Even if you help people fight their battles, you prefer to fight yours on your own. Learn how to say "NO" to people who try to take advantage of you.

You would love these names similar to Karen

  •  Sammi - Odd unisex name Sammi is used in English and Hindi has its roots in Hebrew and Arabic, meaning of Sammi is "His Name is God"
  •  Ashraf - Meaning of Ashraf is Most Honorable or Most Noble is used as a gender-neutral name which came from Arabic is substantially used in Arabic, Urdu and English
  •  Nissa - Offbeat Nissa is originated from Hebrew, Scandinavian and African-Hausa is used as a baby girl name, Nissa means "Ladylike, A Remembered Loved One or Friendly Elf" is substantially used in Hebrew, English and Arabic
  •  Sabra - Long standing and Famous Sabra is used largely in English and Arabic is originated from Arabic and Hebrew, Sabra means "Enduring or Cactus Fruit" is commonly bestowed upon baby girls
  •  Zaahir - Origin of Unwonted Zaahir is in English and Arabic, meaning of Zaahir is "Shining or Luminous" used in Gujarati, Arabic and Kannada is a baby boy name

Middle names for Karen

These are some of the prevailing and current options for Karen middle names.

View more middle names that goes with Karen.

Famous people named Karen

  • Karen Connelly, Canadian travel writer, novelist and poet
  • Karen Jean Meech, American astronomer at the Institute for Astronomy
  • Karen Marsden, member of the Olympic gold medal winning team of the 1996 Summer Olympics
  • Karen Townshend, British fashion designer and the former wife of the Who's Pete Townshend
  • Karen Andersdatter, Danish mistress of King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway and the mother of one of his three illegitimate but acknowledged children
  • Karen R. Hitchcock, American biologist and university administrator
  • Karen Ramirez, female dance music singer
  • Karen Dunnell, British medical sociologist and civil servant
  • Karen Duve, German author
  • Karen Anderson, professional female squash player
  • Karen Traviss, science fiction author from Wiltshire, England
  • Karen Hall, American television writer and producer best
  • Karen Foss, television anchorwoman on KSDK in St
  • Karen Grønn-Hagen, Norwegian politician for the Centre Party
  • Karen Cellini, American multidisciplinary live performance artist
  • Karen Gershon, German-born British writer and poet
  • Karen Maruyama, American actress and comedian
  • Karen A. Page, James Beard Award-winning author of a number of culinary-themed books
  • Karen Graham, respected fly-fishing expert
  • Karen Mellor, English former beauty queen
  • Karen Tei Yamashita, Japanese-American writer
  • Karen Burstein, politician and former judge from New York
  • Karen Press, South African poet
  • Karen Young, English-born singer
  • Karen Young, singer, lyricist, composer and arranger
  • Karen P. Thomas, Artistic Director and Conductor of Seattle Pro Musica and Director of Music at University Unitarian Church
  • Karen Solie, Canadian poet
  • Karen Hunter, American journalist and publisher, talk show host
  • Karen Koning AbuZayd, American diplomat
  • Karen MacNeill, former field hockey striker from Canada
  • Karen Tuttle, American viola teacher
  • Karen Killilea, subject of two bestselling books by her mother Marie Killilea
  • Karen Wilkin, New York-based independent curator and art critic specializing
  • Karen Humphrey, local news reporter,
  • Karen Kingsbury, American Christian novelist born in Fairfax
  • Karen Prell, animator and puppeteer
  • Karen Middleton, political journalist in the Canberra Press Gallery covering the Parliament of Australia
  • Karen Klimczak, a member of the Sisters of St
  • Karen Bowerman, English journalist, television presenter
  • Karen Jespersen, Danish journalist and politician representing the party Venstre
  • Karen Lewis, American television soap opera writer
  • Karen Hawkins, best-selling American author of sixteen historical romance novels
  • Karen Swassjan, Armenian philosopher, literary critic
  • Karen Khachaturian, Soviet and Russian composer of Armenian ethnicity and the nephew of composer Aram Khachaturian
  • Karen Aghamyan, Armenian-born painter
  • Karen Kay, an American author of historical romance novels
  • Karen Wetterhahn, American professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College
  • Karen Ramey Burns, American forensic anthropologist known for work
  • Karen Uhlenbeck, professor and Sid W. Richardson Foundation Regents Chairholder in the Department of Mathematics at The University of Texas
  • Karen Nyberg, American mechanical engineer and NASA astronaut
  • Karen Kain, Canadian former ballet dancer
  • Karen Blixen, Danish author
  • Karen Hesse, American author of children's literature and literature for young adults
  • Karen Ann Quinlan, American woman

Sources

  1. Social Security Administration, https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html
  2. Office for National Statistics, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths
  3. Central Statistics Office - An Phríomh-Oifig Staidrimh, https://visual.cso.ie/?body=entity/babynames
  4. Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques, https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2540004
  5. Sociale Verzekeringsbank, https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/family-names-and-first-names/first-names-boys-and-girls
  6. Department of Jutsice, Government of Western Australia, https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/_apps/BabyNames/Default.aspx?uid=1144-3594-8619-1127
  7. Queensland Government - Open Data Portal, https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/top-100-baby-names
  8. NSW Government, https://www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/births/popular-baby-names
Share your opinion on Karen
Enter Code: captcha