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Karen

“Variant of Catherine — Debated; possibly 'each of the two' (Greek), popularly linked to 'pure'” — Greek via French origin

Girl's name · #1281 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Karen reached its best rank, #3, in 1965 and ranked #1281 in 2025. About 988,000 girls have carried it since 1881.

Around the world: about 1 in 3,600 girls in Norway (2025) · about 1 in 16,000 girls in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 21 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Karens

• Karen Blixen — Danish writer
• Karen Gillan — Scottish actress and filmmaker
• Karen Horney — American-German psychoanalyst
• Karen Black — American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter (1939-2013)
• Karen Uhlenbeck — American mathematician (born 1942)

In stories & tradition

• Karen (Rachel Green) — television character
• Karen (Power Girl) — Injustice 2 · All Star Comics
• Karen Page — Daredevil

What Karens become

Among 3,222 notable people named Karen:

No single standout — notable Karens spread across many fields.

Similar names: Katie · Cynthia · Carla · Sandra · Kathleen · Kara

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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