Caren
A feminine name derived from the Greek name Katerina, meaning "pure".
Name Census estimates that about 7,451 living Americans carry the first name Caren. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Caren today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caren births was 1957 (388 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caren. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
7.5K
~ 1 in 46,001 Americans
Peak year
1957
388 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2019 SSA rank
#14,152
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Caren: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caren from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 2,683 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caren by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Caren during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 33 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Caren, while South Carolina, Iowa, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 196 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Caren
The name Caren is believed to have originated from the Hebrew name Karen, which is a variant of the biblical name Keren. In the Old Testament, Keren is mentioned as one of the wives of Nahor, Abraham's brother. The name Keren is derived from the Hebrew word "qeren," which means "ray of light" or "horn."
The earliest recorded use of the name Caren dates back to the 17th century in Europe. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Caren Andersdotter, a Swedish woman born in 1618 who lived in the village of Västra Vemmenhög. Historical records also mention a woman named Caren Helsingius, born in 1645 in Lund, Sweden.
In the 18th century, the name Caren was relatively uncommon but can be found in historical records from various parts of Europe. One notable figure was Caren Maartens, a Dutch woman born in 1728 who became a prominent businesswoman in Amsterdam.
The 19th century saw an increase in the popularity of the name Caren, particularly in Scandinavia and parts of Germany. One famous bearer of the name was Caren Mikhailovna Vernet, a Russian noble and philanthropist born in 1841. She was known for her charitable work and support of education initiatives in St. Petersburg.
In the 20th century, the name Caren gained wider recognition and usage in various parts of the world. One of the most notable individuals with this name was Caren MarshИон, an American actress and dancer born in 1918. She appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s.
Another prominent figure was Caren Toksvig, a British writer, comedian, and broadcaster born in 1958. She has authored numerous books and has been a regular presence on British television for several decades.
It's worth noting that while the name Caren has been used throughout history, it has never been among the most popular names in any particular region or time period. However, it has maintained a consistent presence, particularly in parts of Europe and North America, and continues to be used as a given name today.
People
Caren + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caren as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Caren: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caren?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7,451 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caren going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 46,001 US residents.
Is Caren a common name?
We classify Caren as "Rare". It ranks above 97.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,560 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caren most popular?
The single biggest year for Caren was 1957, when 388 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caren is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caren a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caren in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.