Karey
A feminine name of undetermined origin, possibly an English diminutive of Karen.
Name Census estimates that about 2,424 living Americans carry the first name Karey. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 78.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Karey today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karey births was 1975 (133 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karey. 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
2.4K
~ 1 in 141,400 Americans
Peak year
1975
133 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
2009 SSA rank
#13,491
Tracked since 1937
Gender
Gender distribution for Karey
Karey is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,771 total registrations, 584 (21.1%) were male and 2,187 (78.9%) were female.
Karey as a male name
- Ranked #13,491 in 2009
- 5 male births in 2009
- Peak: 1960 (22 births)
Karey as a female name
- Ranked #17,777 in 2015
- 5 female births in 2015
- Peak: 1975 (119 births)
Popularity
Karey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karey from the 1930s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,010 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karey 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 Karey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kareys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. California, Ohio, Texas recorded the most babies named Karey, while Oregon, Iowa, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karey
The given name Karey has its origins in the French language and culture, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "carie," meaning "beloved" or "darling." The name's roots can be further traced to the Late Latin term "carus," which carried a similar connotation of "dear" or "precious."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karey can be found in a medieval French text from the 13th century, where it was used as a term of endearment for a beloved individual. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period, possibly among the nobility or upper classes of French society.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Karey. One such figure was Karey de Champagne (1180-1237), a French noblewoman and patron of the arts, who was known for her support of troubadours and literary circles during the High Middle Ages.
Another historical figure with this name was Karey de Valois (1324-1389), a member of the French royal family and a prominent military leader during the Hundred Years' War. He played a crucial role in several battles against the English forces and was renowned for his strategic prowess.
In the realm of literature, Karey de la Fontaine (1621-1695) was a celebrated French fabulist and poet, best known for his iconic collection of fables that have been cherished by generations of readers worldwide.
Moving forward in time, Karey Mullis (1944-2019) was an American biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which revolutionized the field of molecular biology.
Lastly, Karey Wray (1928-2011) was an American actress and singer, known for her roles in several Broadway musicals and appearances in films and television shows throughout the mid-20th century.
While these are just a few examples, the name Karey has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting its enduring appeal and rich cultural heritage.
People
Karey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Karey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,424 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karey 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 141,400 US residents.
Is Karey a common name?
We classify Karey as "Rare". It ranks above 94.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,771 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karey most popular?
The single biggest year for Karey was 1975, when 133 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karey is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karey a female name?
Yes, 78.9% of people registered as Karey 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.