Baby Names Karen Name Meaning By Leah Campbell Leah Campbell Facebook Leah Campbell is a full-time parenting and health writer and has written extensively on the topics of infertility, adoption, and parenting. She is a single mom by choice and author of the book "Single Infertile Female." Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 26, 2021 Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr LinkedIn Twitter Rich Scherr is a seasoned journalist who has covered technology, finance, sports, and lifestyle. Learn about our editorial process Print Catherine Delahaye / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents How Popular Is the Name Karen? Name Variations Similar Names Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Karen Karen originated as a Danish name, arising from the Greek word Aikaterine, which is believed to mean "pure." Kaja and Katherine are both related Danish names. In French, the name can also mean "clear," though it retains the meaning of "pure" across most other backgrounds. In recent years, the name Karen has been adopted as a meme for entitled white women and has declined in popularity as a result. Origin: The origin of the name Karen is Scandinavian.Gender: Karen is usually a girl's name.Pronunciation: KAH-rehn (Danish), KEHR-en (English), KA-ran (German) Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best. How Popular Is the Name Karen? The name Karen saw its reign of popularity between 1938 and 1979. It was during these four decades that the name consistently held a spot as one of the top 50 most popular names, remaining in the top 10 between 1951 and 1968. In recent years, the name Karen has declined significantly in popularity as a result of being used in a negative way to describe women who are entitled or demanding. It ranked No. 831 in 2020. While Karen is most often used as a female name, it’s important to remember that gender does not have to be a deciding factor in naming your baby. Name Variations There are several different spelling options for the name Karen: CarenCarynKaranKaronKarynKerinKerryn Similar Names Other names that sound like Karen include: KareemKarenaKarimKarmaKieranKoren Other girl names that start with a 'K' include: KaitlynKassidyKateKayleeKendallKennedyKenzieKinsleyKhloeKristinaKylieKyra Suggested Sibling Names Names that go well with Karen are: AaronDianeKennethKristyMichaelMichelleNancy Famous People Named Karen Because the name Karen peaked in popularity in the mid-sixties, some of the most famous Karen’s were also born during that time: Karen Carpenter, SingerKaren Huger, Reality star from "The Real Housewives of Potomac"Karen Clark-Sheard, Gospel singer More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names in the U.S. 100 Russian Baby Names 50 Dutch Baby Names 1 Source Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Social Security Administration. Popularity of name. By Leah Campbell Leah Campbell is a full-time parenting and health writer and has written extensively on the topics of infertility, adoption, and parenting. She is a single mom by choice and author of the book "Single Infertile Female." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit