Karina
A feminine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "pure" or "loved one".
Name Census estimates that about 59,428 living Americans carry the first name Karina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karina today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karina births was 1995 (3,001 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karina. 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.
Key insights
- • Although Karina is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 253 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
59K
~ 1 in 5,768 Americans
Peak year
1995
3,001 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2001 SSA rank
#774
Tracked since 1956
Gender
Gender distribution for Karina
Out of the 61,350 babies given the name Karina since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Karina as a male name
- Ranked #11,479 in 2001
- 5 male births in 2001
- Peak: 1989 (21 births)
Karina as a female name
- Ranked #774 in 2024
- 363 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1995 (2,985 births)
Popularity
Karina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karina from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 22,724 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karina 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 Karina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Karinas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 43 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Karina, while New Hampshire, Hawaii, Delaware recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,360 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karina
The name Karina has its origins in the Greek language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "kara," meaning "beloved" or "pure." The name was initially popularized in Greece and neighboring regions influenced by Greek culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karina can be found in ancient Greek literature, where it was used as a character name in various writings and plays. However, it did not gain widespread popularity until later centuries.
During the Byzantine era, the name Karina was occasionally used among Greek-speaking populations, though it remained relatively uncommon. It was not until the Middle Ages that the name began to spread more widely across Europe, particularly in regions with strong Greek cultural influences or connections to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Karina of Ancona, an Italian nun and mystic, was born in the town of Ancona, Italy. Her life and writings contributed to the dissemination of the name in certain parts of Italy and neighboring regions.
Another historical figure with the name Karina was Karina Mikhailovna, a Russian noble and courtier who lived in the 16th century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. She was known for her involvement in court intrigues and political affairs.
In the 17th century, Karina von Rittberg, a German noblewoman and landowner, played a significant role in the development of her family's estates and lands. Her name served as an example of the name's usage in Germanic regions.
During the 19th century, the name Karina gained further popularity in various parts of Europe, particularly in Eastern and Southern European countries. One notable bearer of the name was Karina Miloradovich, a Serbian writer and poet who lived from 1837 to 1894 and contributed to the cultural and literary landscape of her time.
Throughout history, the name Karina has appeared in various forms and spellings, such as Carina, Karine, and Caryna, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, the name has since spread and been embraced across various cultures and societies.
People
Karina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karina 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
Karina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 59,428 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karina 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 5,768 US residents.
Is Karina a common name?
We classify Karina as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 61,350 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karina most popular?
The single biggest year for Karina was 1995, when 3,001 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karina is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karina a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Karina 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.