Total births
3,508
Girls' name · since 1946
Karena
Since 1946, U.S. Social Security records show 3,508 babies named Karena, peaking in 1974. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8514
- among girls today
- 3,508
- born since 1946
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
3,508 babies have been named Karena since 1946, making it today's #8514 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karena has been recorded 3,508 times among girls since 1946, currently ranked #8514 nationally and more common than 52% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1946 to 2025.
- #8514 among girls today
- 3,508 born since 1946
- 1970s peak decade
- 52% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Karena is currently the #8514 girls' name in America, more common than 52% of girls - 3,508 born since 1946, peaking in the 1970s.
- #8514
- among girls today
- 3,508
- born since 1946
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Karena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8514
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 52% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Karena was born in this single decade.
1974
Single peak year
114 babies were named Karena in 1974 - its busiest year on record.
How Karena compares
3,508 Top 16% higher than 84% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Karena's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,508 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 114 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Karena splits its recorded history at 1989: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1950 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1974 peak of 114 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Karena at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1974
Current rank
#8,514
Active since
1946
Karena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1946–2025
- Peak year (1974)
- 114
- Annual births at peak, across 80 years of records
Karena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Karena's strongest decade.
962 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Karena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 14
1940s
14 births
- 1950s 48
1950s
48 births
- 1960s 261
1960s
261 births
- 1970s
1970s
962 births
- 1980s
1980s
651 births
- 1990s
1990s
768 births
- 2000s
2000s
508 births
- 2010s 228
2010s
228 births
- 2020s 68
2020s
68 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 962 births (27% of all-time use).
How Karena 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 Karena's total volume
Karena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karena by state
Where Karena concentrates geographically, total births since 1946
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 486 | 13.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 190 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 114 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 64 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 53 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 48 | 1.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 44 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 40 | 1.1% |
California share of Karena's total US births 13.9%
Even split
486 of 3,508 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Karena appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karena? ▼
Karena has been given to 3,508 babies in the U.S. since 1946, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8514 as of the latest data. 114 babies were born in 1974, its single highest year.
When was Karena most popular? ▼
Karena was most popular in the 1970s decade with 962 total births. The single peak year was 1974.
Where is Karena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karena are California (486 births), New York (190 births), Texas (114 births).
How long has the name Karena been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Karena since 1946 -- 80 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Karena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Karena's data
- Karena's decade-level peak was the 1970s (962 total births); usage has since declined to 68 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karenas (486 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karena
Nearby Names Like Karena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karena
Karen Girl
#1251 987,989 births
Kara Girl
#990 101,743 births
Karla Girl
#733 91,586 births
Karina Girl
#772 61,464 births
Kari Girl
#1843 59,696 births
Compare Karena side by side: Karena vs Karen Karena vs Kara Karena vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karena
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1946–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karena: #8514 Girls' Name - 3,508 Births, Peak 1974." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karena. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Karena 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 July 2026.