Holding steady.
Popularity of Karene since 1916
Babies named Karene per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1963, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Karene's real moment was 1942.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 |
| 1920s | 0 |
| 1930s | 47 |
| 1940s | 99 |
| 1950s | 87 |
| 1960s | 113 |
| 1970s | 77 |
| 1980s | 48 |
| 1990s | 19 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Karene is a feminine name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1916, but it has never achieved widespread popularity. Its peak usage came in 1942, when it was given to a small number of baby girls. The name has maintained a stable but very low trajectory since then, never entering the top 1,000 rankings. It is most commonly considered a variant of Karen, a name that itself peaked in the 1960s. Karene's rarity makes it a distinctive choice for parents seeking an uncommon name with familiar roots.
Karene is a spelling variant of Karen, which in turn is a Danish diminutive of Katherine. Katherine derives from the Greek name Aikaterine, of uncertain etymology, but traditionally associated with the Greek word 'katharos', meaning 'pure'. The name Karen gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the 20th century, and Karene emerged as a less common variant.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kari, Kare, Rene
Sibling names for Karene
Names that share Karene's style, for a brother or sister.
