Karan
Karan is a Hindu, Sikh and an Indian masculine given name and an English-language feminine given name.
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Gujarati
- Punjabi
Meaning & Origin of Karan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Karan is a Hindu, Sikh and an Indian masculine given name and an English-language feminine given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Gujarati
- Punjabi
The Story of Karan
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Karan as a girl name dates back to 1936, when 12 babies received it. 1956 was its biggest year on record, with 170 newborns named Karan — #746 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Karan on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Karan last appeared in the published SSA data in 2004, with 9 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Karan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1973, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1995: 78 births, good for #1,327 nationwide. About 36% of every Karan on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Karan ranks #5,707 for boys with 16 births, gradually falling (-6%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Karan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Karan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Karan
What does the name Karan mean?
What is the origin of the name Karan?
How popular is Karan in 2026?
When was Karan most popular?
In which U.S. states is Karan most popular?
Is Karan a unisex name?
What names go well with Karan?
About the name Karan
Karan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1936 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Karan's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #746. Use the chart and map above to compare Karan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1956 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.