Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1970

Karin

Gender Girl · 1% boys Rank 2025 Below top lists

From Swedish Karin or Danish Karin, a medieval form of Katarina, ultimately from Ancient Greek Αἰκατερῑ́νη (Aikaterī́nē).

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
6
named Karin · -71% vs 2024
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1970
1,051 babies
All-time total
28,731
#859 all-time among girls
First recorded
1907
in Social Security records

Karin popularity over time

28,731 babies have been named Karin since 1907, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s 6 – 6 1 – #1,940
1910s 77 – 77 8 +1183% #2,190
1920s 104 – 104 10 +35% #2,237
1930s 557 – 557 56 +436% #651
1940s 2,812 – 2,812 281 +405% #343
1950s 5,769 – 5,769 577 +105% #324
1960s 8,784 12 8,796 880 +52% #276
1970s 6,008 34 6,042 604 -31% #278
1980s 2,419 17 2,436 244 -60% #552
1990s 1,106 28 1,134 113 -53% #1,115
2000s 536 43 579 58 -49% #2,183
2010s 289 13 302 30 -48% #3,919
2020s (to 2025) 65 52 117 20 -35% #7,456

The story of Karin

Karin is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1907, 28,731 American babies have been named Karin. Its peak came in 1970, when 1,051 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Karin stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Karin?

The median living Karin is about 58 years old; half are between 50 and 66. An estimated 25 thousand people named Karin are alive in the United States today.

median 58 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Karin year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 6 #11,333
2024 13 #8,187 8 #9,422
2023 11 #9,292 10 #7,997
2022 15 #7,456 15 #6,008
2021 13 #8,258 6 #11,446
2020 13 #8,181 7 #10,081
2019 17 #6,875 7 #10,292
2018 25 #5,241 – –
2017 30 #4,630 – –
2016 26 #5,214 – –
2015 29 #4,788 – –
2014 26 #5,228 – –
2013 37 #4,042 – –
2012 31 #4,657 – –
2011 29 #4,863 6 #11,569
2010 39 #3,919 – –
2009 43 #3,706 – –
2008 46 #3,553 – –
2007 41 #3,882 9 #8,579
2006 54 #3,116 9 #8,392
2005 46 #3,340 5 #12,389
2004 49 #3,152 6 #10,674
2003 54 #2,857 5 #11,837
2002 59 #2,620 9 #7,346
2001 71 #2,273 – –
2000 73 #2,183 – –
1995 87 #1,693 6 #8,339
1990 157 #1,115 5 #8,810
1985 196 #830 – –
1980 337 #552 – –
1975 503 #403 – –
1970 1,051 #278 – –
1965 918 #290 – –
1960 738 #358 – –
1955 606 #349 – –
1950 360 #423 – –
1945 175 #555 – –
1940 129 #616 – –
1935 41 #1,090 – –
1930 21 #1,781 – –
1925 10 #3,237 – –
1920 9 #3,466 – –
1915 13 #2,316 – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Karin

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Karin Slaughter Karin Slaughter American crime writer (born 1971) Contemporary
  2. 2 Karin Keller-Sutter Karin Keller-Sutter Swiss Federal Councillor since 2019 b. 1963 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Karin Dreijer Karin Dreijer Swedish musician (born 1975) Contemporary
  4. 4 Karin Dor Karin Dor German actress (1938–2017) Contemporary
  5. 5 Karin Schubert Karin Schubert German actress (born 1944) Contemporary
  6. 6 Karin Viard Karin Viard French actress b. 1966 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Karin Kneissl Karin Kneissl Austrian diplomat, journalist, and politician (born 1965) Contemporary
  8. 8 Karin Månsdotter Karin Månsdotter Queen of Sweden from 1568 to 1569 1550–1612 · 16th century
  9. 9 Karin Boye Karin Boye Swedish poet and novelist (1900–1941) Contemporary
  10. 10 Karin Enke Karin Enke German speed skater b. 1961 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Karin Büttner-Janz Karin Büttner-Janz German gymnast b. 1952 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Karin Fossum Karin Fossum Norwegian writer (born 1954) Contemporary
  13. 13 Karin Bergöö Larsson Karin Bergöö Larsson Swedish artist (1859–1928) 19th century
  14. 14 Karin Knapp Karin Knapp Italian tennis player (born 1987) Contemporary
  15. 15 Karin Oberhofer Karin Oberhofer Italian biathlete (born 1985) Contemporary
  16. 16 Karin Alvtegen Karin Alvtegen Swedish author of crime fiction (born 1965) Contemporary
  17. 17 Karin Balzer Karin Balzer East German hurdler (1938–2019) Contemporary
  18. 18 Karin Melis Mey Karin Melis Mey South African-born Turkish long jumper b. 1983 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Karin Thürig Karin Thürig Swiss cyclist b. 1972 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Karin Mortensen Danish handball player (born 1977) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Karin, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Karin?

The median living Karin is about 58 years old. Half of all living Karins are between 50 and 66 years old.

How many people named Karin are alive today?

An estimated 25 thousand people named Karin are alive in the United States, based on 28,731 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Karin mean?

From Swedish Karin or Danish Karin, a medieval form of Katarina, ultimately from Ancient Greek Αἰκατερῑ́νη (Aikaterī́nē).

How popular is the name Karin in 2025?

Karin did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Karin?

28,731 babies have been named Karin in the United States since 1907, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Karin most popular?

Karin peaked in 1970, when 1,051 newborns received the name.

Is Karin a boy or girl name?

Karin is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Karin rising or falling?

Karin is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Karin?

Well-known people named Karin include Karin Slaughter (writer), Karin Keller-Sutter (politician), Karin Dreijer (musician).

Names like Karin

Names that sound and feel close to Karin: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Karin with similar names → More names starting with K →