Is Karen a boy or girl name?
Karen is a girl name in the US. In 2024, 184 girls and 0 boys were named Karen, so 100% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 99.7% of the 990,595 US babies named Karen were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- #1,263
- Babies named Karen since 1881
- 990,595
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 40,667 babies
Boys and girls named Karen, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 49 | 100% |
| 1890s | 0 | 79 | 100% |
| 1900s | 0 | 98 | 100% |
| 1910s | 0 | 304 | 100% |
| 1920s | 0 | 564 | 100% |
| 1930s | 68 | 16,692 | 99.6% |
| 1940s | 454 | 167,699 | 99.7% |
| 1950s | 562 | 332,533 | 99.8% |
| 1960s | 722 | 286,054 | 99.7% |
| 1970s | 376 | 95,173 | 99.6% |
| 1980s | 272 | 34,917 | 99.2% |
| 1990s | 178 | 24,515 | 99.3% |
| 2000s | 103 | 20,608 | 99.5% |
| 2010s | 38 | 7,357 | 99.5% |
| 2020s | 11 | 1,169 | 99.1% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 184 | #1,263 |
| 2023 | 5 | #13,191 | 226 | #1,089 |
| 2022 | 0 | – | 199 | #1,217 |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 229 | #1,088 |
| 2020 | 6 | #11,301 | 331 | #823 |
| 2019 | 6 | #11,456 | 439 | #661 |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 470 | #636 |
| 2017 | 7 | #10,232 | 554 | #556 |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 617 | #508 |
| 2015 | 5 | #13,060 | 627 | #505 |
| 2014 | 0 | – | 633 | #494 |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 730 | #416 |
| 2012 | 5 | #13,245 | 896 | #354 |
| 2011 | 7 | #10,204 | 1,104 | #287 |
| 2010 | 8 | #9,242 | 1,287 | #249 |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 1,433 | #231 |
| 2008 | 5 | #13,582 | 1,816 | #187 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6,860 | 2,172 | #165 |
| 2006 | 11 | #7,184 | 2,030 | #173 |
| 2005 | 9 | #7,991 | 2,065 | #164 |
| 2004 | 12 | #6,337 | 2,168 | #155 |
| 2003 | 10 | #6,991 | 2,331 | #141 |
| 2002 | 6 | #10,051 | 2,224 | #150 |
| 2001 | 18 | #4,380 | 2,195 | #148 |
| 2000 | 20 | #4,001 | 2,174 | #153 |
| 1999 | 14 | #4,890 | 2,172 | #149 |
| 1998 | 6 | #9,065 | 2,073 | #152 |
| 1997 | 9 | #6,368 | 2,225 | #142 |
| 1996 | 16 | #4,099 | 2,401 | #133 |
| 1995 | 19 | #3,494 | 2,269 | #142 |
| 1994 | 17 | #3,827 | 2,487 | #128 |
| 1993 | 33 | #2,317 | 2,807 | #116 |
| 1992 | 25 | #2,776 | 2,766 | #121 |
| 1991 | 21 | #3,058 | 2,600 | #122 |
| 1990 | 18 | #3,390 | 2,715 | #120 |
| 1989 | 37 | #1,971 | 2,759 | #110 |
| 1988 | 20 | #2,806 | 2,567 | #111 |
| 1987 | 35 | #1,846 | 2,580 | #107 |
| 1986 | 23 | #2,394 | 2,801 | #100 |
| 1985 | 26 | #2,151 | 3,138 | #87 |
| 1984 | 28 | #1,954 | 3,537 | #82 |
| 1983 | 22 | #2,310 | 3,788 | #77 |
| 1982 | 31 | #1,834 | 4,153 | #68 |
| 1981 | 23 | #2,240 | 4,539 | #64 |
| 1980 | 27 | #2,028 | 5,055 | #54 |
| 1979 | 32 | #1,770 | 5,599 | #46 |
| 1978 | 22 | #2,158 | 6,371 | #39 |
| 1977 | 27 | #1,881 | 7,441 | #32 |
| 1976 | 36 | #1,522 | 7,505 | #31 |
| 1975 | 29 | #1,729 | 8,168 | #27 |
| 1974 | 36 | #1,457 | 8,644 | #26 |
| 1973 | 40 | #1,318 | 9,352 | #23 |
| 1972 | 49 | #1,169 | 11,180 | #21 |
| 1971 | 57 | #1,086 | 14,213 | #15 |
| 1970 | 48 | #1,199 | 16,700 | #12 |
| 1969 | 74 | #889 | 17,635 | #13 |
| 1968 | 49 | #1,059 | 19,561 | #9 |
| 1967 | 54 | #988 | 21,540 | #6 |
| 1966 | 64 | #907 | 25,449 | #5 |
| 1965 | 81 | #822 | 32,870 | #3 |
| 1964 | 91 | #789 | 30,247 | #4 |
| 1963 | 83 | #832 | 32,487 | #4 |
| 1962 | 75 | #884 | 35,188 | #4 |
| 1961 | 79 | #862 | 34,697 | #5 |
| 1960 | 72 | #895 | 36,380 | #4 |
| 1959 | 80 | #850 | 36,783 | #4 |
| 1958 | 66 | #939 | 38,488 | #4 |
| 1957 | 77 | #856 | 40,590 | #5 |
| 1956 | 72 | #884 | 40,052 | #7 |
| 1955 | 50 | #1,072 | 33,219 | #8 |
| 1954 | 53 | #1,031 | 32,456 | #8 |
| 1953 | 58 | #943 | 29,858 | #9 |
| 1952 | 36 | #1,233 | 28,957 | #8 |
| 1951 | 34 | #1,268 | 27,998 | #8 |
| 1950 | 36 | #1,212 | 24,132 | #12 |
| 1949 | 41 | #1,102 | 22,468 | #11 |
| 1948 | 36 | #1,206 | 21,996 | #12 |
| 1947 | 37 | #1,202 | 21,648 | #13 |
| 1946 | 39 | #1,119 | 19,647 | #15 |
| 1945 | 52 | #869 | 15,680 | #16 |
| 1944 | 49 | #911 | 15,944 | #16 |
| 1943 | 54 | #912 | 16,816 | #15 |
| 1942 | 65 | #802 | 15,386 | #16 |
| 1941 | 44 | #965 | 10,831 | #19 |
| 1940 | 37 | #1,084 | 7,283 | #34 |
| 1939 | 17 | #1,679 | 5,541 | #39 |
| 1938 | 21 | #1,504 | 4,508 | #50 |
| 1937 | 9 | #2,583 | 2,232 | #113 |
| 1936 | 13 | #2,013 | 1,718 | #132 |
| 1935 | 8 | #2,827 | 1,097 | #172 |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 588 | #258 |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 453 | #283 |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 303 | #367 |
| 1931 | 0 | – | 152 | #536 |
| 1930 | 0 | – | 100 | #689 |
| 1929 | 0 | – | 78 | #801 |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 78 | #818 |
| 1927 | 0 | – | 57 | #1,015 |
| 1926 | 0 | – | 62 | #953 |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 49 | #1,097 |
| 1924 | 0 | – | 58 | #1,008 |
| 1923 | 0 | – | 48 | #1,106 |
| 1922 | 0 | – | 50 | #1,084 |
| 1921 | 0 | – | 42 | #1,192 |
| 1920 | 0 | – | 42 | #1,179 |
| 1919 | 0 | – | 27 | #1,543 |
| 1918 | 0 | – | 56 | #964 |
| 1917 | 0 | – | 47 | #1,031 |
| 1916 | 0 | – | 42 | #1,093 |
| 1915 | 0 | – | 36 | #1,146 |
| 1914 | 0 | – | 34 | #1,029 |
| 1913 | 0 | – | 12 | #1,826 |
| 1912 | 0 | – | 28 | #966 |
| 1911 | 0 | – | 11 | #1,499 |
| 1910 | 0 | – | 11 | #1,473 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 12 | #1,250 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 13 | #1,168 |
| 1907 | 0 | – | 14 | #1,061 |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 16 | #940 |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 11 | #1,212 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 11 | #1,137 |
| 1903 | 0 | – | 8 | #1,382 |
| 1902 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 5 | #1,806 |
| 1900 | 0 | – | 8 | #1,505 |
| 1899 | 0 | – | 9 | #1,143 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 8 | #1,316 |
| 1897 | 0 | – | 5 | #1,663 |
| 1896 | 0 | – | 9 | #1,170 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – | 11 | #978 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 7 | #1,239 |
| 1892 | 0 | – | 10 | #984 |
| 1891 | 0 | – | 6 | #1,271 |
| 1890 | 0 | – | 14 | #747 |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 10 | #872 |
| 1888 | 0 | – | 5 | #1,380 |
| 1887 | 0 | – | 9 | #822 |
| 1886 | 0 | – | 9 | #802 |
| 1885 | 0 | – | 10 | #715 |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1881 | 0 | – | 6 | #786 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Karen reached #789 in 1964. As a girl name, it reached #3 in 1965. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1950s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Karen
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.