Total births
4,167
Girls' name · since 1913
Karlene
Since 1913, U.S. Social Security records show 4,167 babies named Karlene, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12231
- among girls today
- 4,167
- born since 1913
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Karlene is the #12231 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 4,167 recorded since 1913.
Social Security Administration records show Karlene recorded 4,167 times among girls since 1913, holding rank #12231 nationally today, ahead of 31% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2024.
- #12231 among girls today
- 4,167 born since 1913
- 1950s peak decade
- 31% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karlene is currently the #12231 girls' name in America, more common than 31% of girls - 4,167 born since 1913, peaking in the 1950s.
- #12231
- among girls today
- 4,167
- born since 1913
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Karlene vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#12231
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 31% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Karlene was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
104 babies were named Karlene in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Karlene compares
4,167 Top 15% higher than 85% 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
Karlene's all-time total is 11x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karlene | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,167 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 104 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Karlene's full recorded timeline at 1970, 30% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 70% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1913, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 104 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Karlene at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#12,231
Active since
1913
Karlene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2024
- Peak year (1959)
- 104
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Karlene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Karlene's strongest decade.
853 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Karlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 24
1910s
24 births
- 1920s 87
1920s
87 births
- 1930s
1930s
408 births
- 1940s
1940s
741 births
- 1950s
1950s
853 births
- 1960s
1960s
798 births
- 1970s
1970s
372 births
- 1980s
1980s
344 births
- 1990s 255
1990s
255 births
- 2000s 176
2000s
176 births
- 2010s 71
2010s
71 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 853 births (20% of all-time use).
How Karlene 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 Karlene's total volume
Karlene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karlene by state
Where Karlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 256 | 6.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 163 | 3.9% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 134 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 109 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 77 | 1.8% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 72 | 1.7% |
| #7 | Iowa | | 64 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 59 | 1.4% |
California share of Karlene's total US births 6.1%
Even split
256 of 4,167 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Karlene appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karlene? ▼
4,167 babies have been named Karlene since 1913. It currently ranks #12231 among girls. The peak year was 1959 with 104 births.
When was Karlene most popular? ▼
Karlene was most popular in the 1950s decade with 853 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Karlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karlene are California (256 births), New York (163 births), Michigan (134 births).
How long has the name Karlene been used? ▼
Karlene has been recorded in Social Security data since 1913, spanning 112 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Karlene? ▼
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 Karlene's data
- Karlene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (853 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karlenes (256 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 Karlene
Nearby Names Like Karlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karlene
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 Karlene side by side: Karlene vs Karen Karlene vs Kara Karlene vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karlene
Joetta #12230
3,558 births · Peak 1954
Lanita #12232
3,721 births · Peak 1958
Sophy #12229
508 births · Peak 2002
Vivie #12233
121 births · Peak 2025
Sondra #12228
27,074 births · Peak 1942
Chris #12234
22,955 births · Peak 1961
Willamae #12227
412 births · Peak 1923
Annelle #12235
1,106 births · Peak 1947
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1913–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karlene: #12231 Girls' Name - 4,167 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karlene. 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 Karlene 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 June 2026.