Karene
A female given name, variant of Karen.
Every Karene since 1916 — 501 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Karene
Karene is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1916, 501 American babies have been named Karene. Its peak came in 1963, when 17 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Karene stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Karene year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — |
| 2015 | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — |
| 2012 | — | — |
| 2011 | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2009 | — | — |
| 2008 | — | — |
| 2007 | — | — |
| 2006 | — | — |
| 2005 | — | — |
| 2004 | — | — |
| 2003 | — | — |
| 2002 | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1995 | — | — |
| 1990 | 7 | #10,738 |
| 1985 | 6 | #9,882 |
| 1980 | 11 | #6,087 |
| 1975 | 5 | #9,709 |
| 1970 | 15 | #3,940 |
| 1965 | 7 | #5,525 |
| 1960 | 12 | #3,802 |
| 1955 | 7 | #4,945 |
| 1950 | 11 | #3,318 |
| 1945 | 8 | #3,522 |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,852 |
| 1935 | 8 | #3,309 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Karene mean?
A female given name, variant of Karen.
How popular is the name Karene in 2025?
Karene did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Karene?
501 babies have been named Karene in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Karene most popular?
Karene peaked in 1963, when 17 newborns received the name.
Is Karene a boy or girl name?
Karene is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Karene rising or falling?
Karene has been roughly stable over the past decade.