Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel, first published in book form in 1878, by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Often considered to be among the greatest works of world literature, Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial installments from 1875 to 1877, all but the last part appearing in the periodical The Russian Messenger.
Meaning & Origin of Karenina
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Anna Karenina is a novel, first published in book form in 1878, by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Often considered to be among the greatest works of world literature, Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial installments from 1875 to 1877, all but the last part appearing in the periodical The Russian Messenger.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Karenina
American parents first put Karenina on the record books as a baby girl name in 1978, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1978, when 7 Kareninas were born — ranking #7,650 that year. About 50% of every Karenina on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Karenina last appeared in the published SSA data in 1998, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 14 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Karenina
Phonetically similar names — useful when Karenina 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 Karenina
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About the name Karenina
Karenina is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 14 births in the dataset. Karenina's peak popularity came in 1978 when it ranked #7,650. Use the chart and map above to compare Karenina's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1978 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.