Karen is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find how many babies have been named Karen across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Karen has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 990,774 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 865 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 9,223 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 87 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 12,050 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 13,524 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Karen per year, United States (1881 to 2025). United States peaked in 1957 (40,668/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (826/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1977 (570/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (76/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (16/yr).
Karen has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1957, when it ranked #14 nationally (given to 40,668 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Karina · Karin · Karyn · Carina · Caryn · Kieran · Caren · Karon
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