Unisex name · since 1936
Karan
3,450 babies named Karan in U.S. Social Security records since 1936, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,290 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 3,450
- born since 1936
- 1950s
- peak decade
Karan is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 3,450 have been recorded since 1936.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karan has been recorded 3,450 times among girls since 1936, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1936 to 2004.
- #3,290 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 3,450 born since 1936
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karan ranks #3,290 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 3,450 born since 1936, peaking in the 1950s.
- #3,290 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 3,450
- born since 1936
- 1950s
- peak decade
Karan's 3,450 recorded births place it above 95.45% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
26 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Karan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Karan's full recorded timeline at 1968, 16% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 84% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1986, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 170 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Karan popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–2004
- Peak year (1956)
- 170
- Annual births at peak, across 69 years of records
Karan popularity over time - boys
1,512 total births recorded since 1973 (Karan as boys' name)
Karan by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (1,316 births, 38% of the file).
1950s was Karan's strongest decade.
1,316 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Karan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 64
1930s
64 births
- 1940s
1940s
769 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,316 births
- 1960s
1960s
849 births
- 1970s 267
1970s
267 births
- 1980s 105
1980s
105 births
- 1990s 60
1990s
60 births
- 2000s 20
2000s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,316 births (38% of all-time use).
How Karan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Karan's total volume
Karan by state
Where Karan concentrates geographically, total births since 1936
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 326 | 9.4% |
| #2 | California | | 222 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 124 | 3.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 110 | 3.2% |
| #5 | New York | | 109 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 100 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 79 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 65 | 1.9% |
326 of 3,450 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Karan appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karan? ▼
Where does Karan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Karan most popular? ▼
Where is Karan most popular? ▼
Is Karan a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Karan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Karan? ▼
What to do with Karan's data
- Karan's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,316 total births); usage has since declined to 20 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Karans (326 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karan
Nearby Names Like Karan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karan
Compare Karan side by side: Karan vs Karen Karan vs Kara Karan vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Karan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~68 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1936–2004 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Karan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.