Koren
A feminine name of undetermined origin, potentially meaning "winter" or "fresh".
Name Census estimates that about 1,614 living Americans carry the first name Koren. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Koren today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Koren births was 1978 (91 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Koren. 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
- • Koren was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
People living today
1.6K
~ 1 in 212,363 Americans
Peak year
1978
91 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,454
Tracked since 1950
Gender
Gender distribution for Koren
Koren leans heavily female at 85.7% of total registrations, but 254 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Koren as a male name
- Ranked #9,454 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (22 births)
Koren as a female name
- Ranked #17,911 in 2015
- 5 female births in 2015
- Peak: 1978 (91 births)
Popularity
Koren: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Koren from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 545 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
Koren 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 Koren during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Korens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Koren, while Missouri, Ohio, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Koren
The name Koren is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "kohen," which means "priest" or "minister." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who served in religious capacities or were associated with sacred rituals.
In the Old Testament, the term "kohen" is used to refer to the priestly lineage descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. This lineage held significant importance within the Israelite community, as they were responsible for performing sacrificial rituals and maintaining the sanctity of religious practices.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Koren can be found in ancient Hebrew texts and historical records dating back to biblical times. One notable figure bearing this name was Koren the Levite, mentioned in the Book of Chronicles as a gatekeeper of the Tabernacle during the reign of King David.
Throughout history, several individuals have carried the name Koren, although its usage has been relatively uncommon. One prominent figure was Koren Hayyat (1654-1726), a Hebrew poet and scholar who lived in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. His works, which included religious poetry and commentary on Jewish texts, gained significant recognition within the Sephardic Jewish community.
Another individual of note was Koren Bernstein (1905-1989), an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the clothing company Hart Schaffner & Marx and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational institutions and organizations.
In the realm of literature, Koren Shadmi (born 1978) is an Israeli-American cartoonist and illustrator renowned for his graphic novels and comic book works, such as "The Twilight Man" and "The Abaddon."
Additionally, Koren Zailckas (born 1980) is an American author best known for her memoir "Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood," which explores themes of alcoholism and self-discovery.
While the name Koren has maintained a presence throughout history, its usage has been relatively limited, often associated with individuals of Hebrew or Jewish descent. However, its origins and connections to the ancient priestly lineage have imbued the name with a sense of reverence and spiritual significance.
People
Koren + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Koren 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
Koren: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Koren?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,614 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Koren 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 212,363 US residents.
Is Koren a common name?
We classify Koren as "Rare". It ranks above 92.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,773 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Koren most popular?
The single biggest year for Koren was 1978, when 91 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Koren is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Koren a female name?
Yes, 85.7% of people registered as Koren 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.