NameTides

Karen

Karen was the #1,279 girls' name in the US in 2025 (175 babies), and #2,440 in England & Wales and #3,044 in Canada.

Karen as a girl’s name

  • US
  • England & Wales
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Ireland
  • Canada
  • NSW
Karen as a girl’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada, NSWBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.012.52537.55018801900192019401960198020002020USEngland & WalesCanada
Karen as a girl’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada, NSWBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.012.52537.5501880192019602000
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex in each published list. New South Wales publishes its top 100 only, so it appears in the rank view and only in years the name made the top 100. Breaks in a line are years with too few babies to be published.
Show the numbers
YearUSEngland & WalesScotlandNorthern IrelandIrelandCanadaNSW
2025#1,279 (175)#2,440 (11)———#3,044 (6)—
2024#1,250 (186)#4,844 (4)———#2,259 (9)—
2023#1,089 (226)————#2,366 (8)—
2022#1,216 (199)#4,646 (4)———#1,482 (15)—
2021#1,088 (229)#3,192 (7)———#1,876 (11)—
2020#821 (332)#1,773 (16)———#1,249 (19)—
2019#662 (440)#1,940 (14)——#871 (3)#970 (27)—
2018#636 (470)#1,490 (21)——#629 (5)#1,122 (22)—
2017#556 (554)#1,817 (16)——#471 (8)#979 (27)—
2016#508 (617)#1,689 (18)——#750 (4)#717 (41)—
2015#505 (627)#1,405 (23)——#378 (12)#864 (31)—
2014#494 (633)#1,411 (22)#537 (6)—#661 (5)#681 (43)—
2013#416 (730)#1,324 (25)#816 (3)—#660 (5)#609 (48)—
2012#354 (897)#1,525 (20)——#510 (8)#582 (50)—
2011#287 (1,104)#1,374 (22)#810 (3)—#465 (9)#507 (61)—

The tide so far

  • Peaked in the US in 1956 at #7.
  • Falling over the last five years.
  • First recorded in the US in 1881.

How common is it?

about 1 in 9,200 baby girls in the published US list for 2025.

In a group of 1,000 children born that year, you would expect to meet fewer than 1. How we work this out.

How common, country by country

WhereSexLatest yearShareVerdict
USGirls2025about 1 in 9,200uncommon
England & WalesGirls2025about 1 in 23,000rare
CanadaGirls2025about 1 in 25,000rare

Next year

On its recent trend, Karen is likely to hold steady in the US in 2026: about 1 in 9,500 baby girls. Likely range 1 in 8,000 to 1 in 11,000.

Estimate, not an official figure. How we estimate.

Across the US

Karen by state, 2025Alaska: fewer than 5 babiesAKMaine: fewer than 5 babiesMEWisconsin: fewer than 5 babiesWIVermont: fewer than 5 babiesVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 babiesNHWashington: fewer than 5 babiesWAIdaho: fewer than 5 babiesIDMontana: fewer than 5 babiesMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 babiesMNIllinois: #1,240ILMichigan: #1,210MINew York: #980NYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 babiesMAOregon: fewer than 5 babiesORNevada: fewer than 5 babiesNVWyoming: fewer than 5 babiesWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesSDIowa: fewer than 5 babiesIAIndiana: fewer than 5 babiesINOhio: #801OHPennsylvania: #763PANew Jersey: #1,036NJConnecticut: fewer than 5 babiesCTRhode Island: fewer than 5 babiesRICalifornia: #1,948CAUtah: fewer than 5 babiesUTColorado: fewer than 5 babiesCONebraska: fewer than 5 babiesNEMissouri: fewer than 5 babiesMOKentucky: fewer than 5 babiesKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 babiesWVVirginia: fewer than 5 babiesVAMaryland: #731MDDelaware: fewer than 5 babiesDEArizona: #818AZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 babiesNMKansas: fewer than 5 babiesKSArkansas: fewer than 5 babiesARTennessee: fewer than 5 babiesTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 babiesDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 babiesOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 babiesLAMississippi: fewer than 5 babiesMSAlabama: fewer than 5 babiesALGeorgia: #984GAHawaii: fewer than 5 babiesHITexas: #1,087TXFlorida: #1,887FL
Karen (girls) rank in each state, 2025. Hatched states recorded fewer than 5 babies.
  • #1–10
  • #11–50
  • #51–100
  • #101–500
  • below #500

Spellings

Official statistics count each spelling separately, so we show them side by side rather than adding them up.

SpellingWhereSexLatest rankBabies
KarenCanadaGirls#3,0446
KarenEngland & WalesGirls#2,44011
KarenIrelandGirls—too few
KarenIrelandBoys—too few
KarenNorthern IrelandGirls—too few
KarenNSWGirls—too few
KarenScotlandGirls—too few
KarenUSGirls#1,279175
KarenUSBoys—too few