Karleen
A feminine name derived from the German name Karl meaning "free man".
Name Census estimates that about 1,865 living Americans carry the first name Karleen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karleen today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karleen births was 1964 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karleen. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 183,782 Americans
Peak year
1964
74 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,386
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Karleen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karleen from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 538 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
Karleen 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 Karleen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Karleens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, New York, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Karleen, while Rhode Island, Ohio, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 36 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karleen
The name Karleen is a feminine given name with origins tracing back to the Germanic languages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "karl," which meant "free man" or "husband." The name was popularized during the Middle Ages across various regions of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Germanic cultural influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karleen can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from Germany dating back to the 8th century. In this text, the name appears as "Karlin," likely a precursor to the modern spelling of Karleen.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Karleen. One of the earliest recorded was Karleen von Habsburg (1457-1506), a German noblewoman who played a significant role in the political affairs of the Holy Roman Empire during the late 15th century.
In the realm of literature, Karleen Hildebrand (1876-1957) was a renowned German novelist and playwright. Her works, which often explored themes of love and societal constraints, were widely acclaimed during the early 20th century.
Karleen Wittgenstein (1882-1956), an Austrian-born philosopher, was a prominent figure in the field of logic and language. Her contributions to the development of analytic philosophy and her influence on the work of her brother, Ludwig Wittgenstein, have been widely recognized.
In the field of science, Karleen Curie (1867-1934) was a pioneering Polish physicist and chemist. She is renowned for her groundbreaking work on radioactivity, for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, becoming the first woman to receive this prestigious honor.
Lastly, Karleen von Bingen (1098-1179) was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, and Christian mystic. Her profound influence on medieval Christian thought and her numerous works on subjects ranging from medicine to theology have earned her a place as one of the most influential figures of the 12th century.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Karleen throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various cultural and intellectual realms.
People
Karleen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karleen 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
Karleen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karleen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,865 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karleen 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 183,782 US residents.
Is Karleen a common name?
We classify Karleen as "Rare". It ranks above 93.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,766 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karleen most popular?
The single biggest year for Karleen was 1964, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karleen is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karleen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karleen 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.