Karan
Karan is a Hindu, Sikh and an Indian masculine given name and an English-language feminine given name.
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 →
The Story of Karan
As a girl name
Karan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1936, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 170 Karans were born — ranking #746 that year. As of 2026, Karan ranks #10,690 for girls with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 3K Karans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through 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. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 78 Karans were born — ranking #1,327 that year. As of 2026, Karan ranks #5,707 for boys with 16 births, gradually falling (-6%). In total, more than 2K Karans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through 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?
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.