Karen
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Karen
Karen, a once sweet Danish import, was so popular during the baby boom (Karen was Number 3 in 1960) that it's become a mem in recent years, representing a hostile white woman—one who usually wants to speak with the manager.
Karen for girls#1281 US
Given to more than 40,000 girls in a single year at its US peak, the name fell out of the US charts in 2020, though it had been on a rapid decline before that. A Danish (and Norwegian) diminutive of Katherine, itself from the Greek Aikaterine, the name it typically said to mean "pure", though the etymology is cloudy.
Pronounced as KA-ruhn or KEHR-uhn in English, KAH-rehn is used among Danish speakers. Parents who want to honor a Karen by choosing an updated version of the name might variations from Karina to Kyra to Kaja to Katri, or look at similar sounding options, like the Cornish Kerensa.
There is more to Karen, however, than its current cultural associations in the Western world. It also has its roots in Japanese, in which its typically transcribed to mean "lotus flower" or "waterlily flower". In this case, it would be pronounced KA-REHN.
Additionally, in Armenian, it is used as an alternative transcription of Garen (used to reflect the Western Armenian pronunciation), meaning "high value, precious".
Karen for boys
As a feminine name, Karen's popularity has been tainted by the meme, tying it to a (usually) white, middle-class, middle-aged white woman displaying entitled behaviour and wanting to speak to the manager. However, it is a multicultural choice, which also has its roots as a masculine name in Armenia.
Used as a short form of Garegin, Karen is transcribed as such to reflect its Western Armenian pronunciation (kah-REHN). Ultimately borrowed from Persian, it means "precious, high-value", and was the name of the of the Seven Great Houses of Iran in the 6th century.
A recent year saw it rank in the Top 30 in its native Armenia.
Pronounced KAIR-un.
As of October 2026, Karen ranked #1281 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #3 in 1965, Nameberry popularity #489.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #494 | 633 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #505 | 627 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #508 | 617 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #556 | 554 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #636 | 470 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #661 | 439 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #823 | 331 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,088 | 229 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,217 | 199 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,089 | 226 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,263 | 184 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,281 | 175 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Karen for girls
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Karen on lists
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Karen in pop culture
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