Karen was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #3 in 1965 but is far less common today.
Karen is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #1,281 for girl births in the United States (and #2,422 across all names), given to 175 babies. Karen was first reported in SSA data in 1881 and peaked in 1957 (40,591 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 175 | 175 | #1,281 | — |
| 2024 | 186 | 186 | #1,255 | — |
| 2023 | 231 | 231 | #1,092 | #13,199 |
| 2022 | 199 | 199 | #1,218 | — |
| 2021 | 229 | 229 | #1,088 | — |
| 2020 | 338 | 338 | #821 | #11,308 |
| 2019 | 446 | 446 | #662 | #11,459 |
| 2018 | 470 | 470 | #637 | — |
| 2017 | 561 | 561 | #556 | #10,234 |
| 2016 | 617 | 617 | #508 | — |
| 2015 | 632 | 632 | #505 | #13,061 |
| 2014 | 633 | 633 | #494 | — |
| 2013 | 730 | 730 | #416 | — |
| 2012 | 902 | 902 | #354 | #13,248 |
| 2011 | 1,111 | 1,111 | #287 | #10,206 |
| 2010 | 1,296 | 1,296 | #248 | #9,245 |
| 2009 | 1,433 | 1,438 | #231 | — |
| 2008 | 1,821 | 1,831 | #187 | #13,582 |
| 2007 | 2,184 | 2,192 | #165 | #6,862 |
| 2006 | 2,042 | 2,050 | #173 | #7,184 |
| 2005 | 2,074 | 2,088 | #164 | #7,992 |
| 2004 | 2,180 | 2,191 | #155 | #6,336 |
| 2003 | 2,341 | 2,359 | #141 | #6,992 |
| 2002 | 2,231 | 2,257 | #150 | #10,051 |
| 2001 | 2,212 | 2,233 | #148 | #4,380 |
| 2000 | 2,194 | 2,231 | #153 | #4,000 |
| 1999 | 2,186 | 2,209 | #149 | #4,890 |
| 1998 | 2,079 | 2,120 | #152 | #9,065 |
| 1997 | 2,235 | — | #142 | #6,368 |
| 1996 | 2,417 | — | #133 | #4,100 |
| 1995 | 2,288 | — | #142 | #3,494 |
| 1994 | 2,504 | — | #128 | #3,827 |
| 1993 | 2,839 | — | #116 | #2,317 |
| 1992 | 2,790 | — | #121 | #2,776 |
| 1991 | 2,622 | — | #122 | #3,058 |
| 1990 | 2,734 | — | #120 | #3,390 |
| 1989 | 2,795 | — | #110 | #1,971 |
| 1988 | 2,587 | — | #111 | #2,806 |
| 1987 | 2,615 | — | #107 | #1,847 |
| 1986 | 2,824 | — | #100 | #2,394 |
| 1985 | 3,164 | — | #87 | #2,151 |
| 1984 | 3,564 | — | #82 | #1,954 |
| 1983 | 3,809 | — | #77 | #2,310 |
| 1982 | 4,184 | — | #68 | #1,834 |
| 1981 | 4,562 | — | #64 | #2,240 |
| 1980 | 5,082 | — | #54 | #2,028 |
| 1979 | 5,631 | — | #46 | #1,769 |
| 1978 | 6,393 | — | #39 | #2,159 |
| 1977 | 7,468 | — | #32 | #1,879 |
| 1976 | 7,541 | — | #31 | #1,521 |
| 1975 | 8,197 | — | #27 | #1,729 |
| 1974 | 8,679 | — | #26 | #1,457 |
| 1973 | 9,392 | — | #23 | #1,318 |
| 1972 | 11,230 | — | #21 | #1,169 |
| 1971 | 14,271 | — | #15 | #1,086 |
| 1970 | 16,747 | — | #12 | #1,199 |
| 1969 | 17,707 | — | #13 | #889 |
| 1968 | 19,609 | — | #9 | #1,060 |
| 1967 | 21,591 | — | #6 | #988 |
| 1966 | 25,514 | — | #5 | #907 |
| 1965 | 32,950 | — | #3 | #822 |
| 1964 | 30,334 | — | #4 | #790 |
| 1963 | 32,575 | — | #4 | #833 |
| 1962 | 35,259 | — | #4 | #884 |
| 1961 | 34,786 | — | #5 | #863 |
| 1960 | 36,450 | — | #4 | #894 |
| 1959 | 36,864 | — | #4 | #850 |
| 1958 | 38,553 | — | #4 | #939 |
| 1957 | 40,668 | — | #5 | #856 |
| 1956 | 40,124 | — | #7 | #883 |
| 1955 | 33,267 | — | #8 | #1,072 |
| 1954 | 32,510 | — | #8 | #1,023 |
| 1953 | 29,916 | — | #9 | #943 |
| 1952 | 28,992 | — | #8 | #1,233 |
| 1951 | 28,032 | — | #8 | #1,268 |
| 1950 | 24,168 | — | #12 | #1,212 |
| 1949 | 22,509 | — | #11 | #1,102 |
| 1948 | 22,032 | — | #12 | #1,206 |
| 1947 | 21,685 | — | #13 | #1,202 |
| 1946 | 19,686 | — | #15 | #1,119 |
| 1945 | 15,732 | — | #16 | #869 |
| 1944 | 15,993 | — | #16 | #912 |
| 1943 | 16,870 | — | #15 | #912 |
| 1942 | 15,452 | — | #16 | #802 |
| 1941 | 10,875 | — | #19 | #965 |
| 1940 | 7,320 | — | #34 | #1,084 |
| 1939 | 5,558 | — | #39 | #1,679 |
| 1938 | 4,529 | — | #50 | #1,504 |
| 1937 | 2,241 | — | #113 | #2,583 |
| 1936 | 1,731 | — | #132 | #2,013 |
| 1935 | 1,105 | — | #172 | #2,827 |
| 1934 | 588 | — | #258 | — |
| 1933 | 453 | — | #283 | — |
| 1932 | 303 | — | #367 | — |
| 1931 | 152 | — | #536 | — |
| 1930 | 100 | — | #689 | — |
| 1929 | 78 | — | #801 | — |
| 1928 | 78 | — | #818 | — |
| 1927 | 57 | — | #1,015 | — |
| 1926 | 62 | — | #953 | — |
| 1925 | 49 | — | #1,097 | — |
| 1924 | 58 | — | #1,008 | — |
| 1923 | 48 | — | #1,106 | — |
| 1922 | 50 | — | #1,084 | — |
| 1921 | 42 | — | #1,192 | — |
| 1920 | 42 | — | #1,179 | — |
| 1919 | 27 | — | #1,543 | — |
| 1918 | 56 | — | #964 | — |
| 1917 | 47 | — | #1,031 | — |
| 1916 | 42 | — | #1,093 | — |
| 1915 | 36 | — | #1,146 | — |
| 1914 | 34 | — | #1,029 | — |
| 1913 | 12 | — | #1,826 | — |
| 1912 | 28 | — | #966 | — |
| 1911 | 11 | — | #1,499 | — |
| 1910 | 11 | — | #1,473 | — |
| 1909 | 12 | — | #1,250 | — |
| 1908 | 13 | — | #1,168 | — |
| 1907 | 14 | — | #1,061 | — |
| 1906 | 16 | — | #940 | — |
| 1905 | 11 | — | #1,212 | — |
| 1904 | 11 | — | #1,137 | — |
| 1903 | 8 | — | #1,382 | — |
| 1901 | 5 | — | #1,806 | — |
| 1900 | 8 | — | #1,505 | — |
| 1899 | 9 | — | #1,143 | — |
| 1898 | 8 | — | #1,316 | — |
| 1897 | 5 | — | #1,663 | — |
| 1896 | 9 | — | #1,170 | — |
| 1894 | 11 | — | #978 | — |
| 1893 | 7 | — | #1,239 | — |
| 1892 | 10 | — | #984 | — |
| 1891 | 6 | — | #1,271 | — |
| 1890 | 14 | — | #747 | — |
| 1889 | 10 | — | #872 | — |
| 1888 | 5 | — | #1,380 | — |
| 1887 | 9 | — | #822 | — |
| 1886 | 9 | — | #802 | — |
| 1885 | 10 | — | #715 | — |
| 1881 | 6 | — | #786 | — |