Karen
Girl name · #1281 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Karen? In official American birth records, Karen has been tracked continuously since 1881, giving it 144 years of documented American history.
Karen ranks #1281 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 175 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #505, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,286 girls born in 2025 was named Karen.
Babies named Karen per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 144-year story
Karen first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 40,591 girls were named Karen — good for #5 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Karen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Karen in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Karen is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Karen will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Karen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Karen is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Karen is most common in PA (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Karen is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Karen
Statistically, parents drawn to Karen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kathleen, Susan, Ellen, Ann, and Anita.
KathleenSusanEllenAnnAnitaSharonRobinLynn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Karen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 175 | #1279 |
| 2024 | 186 | #1250 |
| 2023 | 226 | #1089 |
| 2022 | 199 | #1216 |
| 2021 | 229 | #1088 |
| 2020 | 332 | #821 |
| 2019 | 440 | #662 |
| 2018 | 470 | #636 |
| 2017 | 554 | #556 |
| 2016 | 617 | #508 |
| 2015 | 627 | #505 |
| 2014 | 633 | #494 |
| 2013 | 730 | #416 |
| 2012 | 897 | #354 |
| 2011 | 1,104 | #287 |
| 2010 | 1,288 | #248 |
| 2009 | 1,433 | #231 |
| 2008 | 1,816 | #187 |
| 2007 | 2,172 | #165 |
| 2006 | 2,031 | #173 |
| 2005 | 2,065 | #164 |
| 2004 | 2,168 | #155 |
| 2003 | 2,331 | #141 |
| 2002 | 2,225 | #150 |
| 2001 | 2,194 | #148 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Karen?
In official American birth records, the name Karen first appeared in 1881 (over 144 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Karen a popular girl name?
Karen ranked #1281 among girls in 2025 with 175 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #505.
When was the name Karen most popular?
Karen peaked in 1957, when 40,591 American girls received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Karen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,286 newborn American girls was named Karen. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.