ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1916

First Year

1997

Last Year

1963

Peak Year

#3066

Peak Rank

501

Total Count

55

Years Active

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📖

## The Story of Karene

Karene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1916, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1963: 17 births, good for #3,066 nationwide. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 23% of all recorded Karenes. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1997 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 501 Karenes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Karene

Phonetically similar names — useful when Karene is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Cyrene](/cyrene)
* [Karen](/karen)
* [Karan](/karan)
* [Karin](/karin)
* [Charon](/charon)
* [Keren](/keren)
* [Karon](/karon)
* [Kerin](/kerin)
* [Charron](/charron)
* [Coreen](/coreen)
* [Charan](/charan)
* [Kerrin](/kerrin)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Karene

What does the name Karene mean?

Karene is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1916\. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Karene in 2026?

In 2026, Karene ranks #12,070 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Karene most popular?

Karene reached its peak popularity in 1963, ranking #3,066 that year with 17 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Karene most popular?

Karene has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Karene.

Is Karene a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Karene is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Karene?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Karene include Ronalee, Donda, Mi. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧RonaleePeak #3066](/ronalee)[👧DondaPeak #3066](/donda)[👧MiPeak #3066](/mi)[👧BrendPeak #3066](/brend)[👧LynisePeak #3066](/lynise)[👧TariaPeak #3066](/taria)[👧AishahPeak #3066](/aishah)[👧LaquantaPeak #3065](/laquanta)

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## About the name Karene 

Karene is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 501 births in the dataset. Karene's peak popularity came in 1963 when it ranked #3,066\. Use the chart and map above to compare Karene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1963 → ](/year/1963)
* [ Names of the 1960s → ](/decade/1960s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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. 

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