Karona
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "rays of the sun".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Karona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karona today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karona births was 1972 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karona. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karona. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1972
8 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1972 SSA rank
#6,224
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Karona: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Karona 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 Karona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 8 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Karona
The name Karona is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language primarily used in the Indian subcontinent. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "karuṇā," which means "compassion" or "mercy." It is a feminine name that has been recorded in various ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, often associated with goddesses or female deities known for their nurturing and benevolent nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karona can be found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, where it is mentioned as the name of a minor character. However, the name gained significant prominence in the late medieval period, particularly during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire in the Deccan region of southern India (14th to 17th century CE).
During this time, Karona was the name of a renowned female poet and scholar who was highly regarded for her literary contributions and her mastery of various languages, including Sanskrit, Kannada, and Telugu. She was known for her poetic works that celebrated the virtues of compassion and empathy, which aligned with the meaning of her name.
Another notable historical figure with the name Karona was a 16th-century queen from the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, located in present-day Rajasthan, India. Queen Karona was known for her courage and leadership during times of conflict, and she played a significant role in defending her kingdom against external threats.
In more recent history, Karona Kathiresan (1926-2015) was a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil writer and poet who was celebrated for her contributions to Tamil literature. Her works often explored themes of social justice, human rights, and the struggles faced by marginalized communities.
Karona Kannavelo (1912-1990) was an Indian freedom fighter and social activist who dedicated her life to the cause of women's empowerment and education. She played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly to promote literacy and educational opportunities for underprivileged women and children.
It is worth noting that while the name Karona has its roots in Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions around the world, albeit with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. However, the core meaning of compassion and mercy remains consistent across these adaptations.
People
Karona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karona 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
Karona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karona 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Karona a common name?
We classify Karona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karona most popular?
The single biggest year for Karona was 1972, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karona is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Karona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karona 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.
Is Karona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karona in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Karona can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Karona as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.