Karin
Meaning
a form of Katherine/Karen, "pure"; also a genuine Japanese given name, 花梨, referring to the flowering Chinese quince tree; two unrelated origins landing on the identical spelling and sound
Karin around the world
One shared root links 26 names across 8 languages.
Shared root: from Greek Aikaterine, linked since early Christian times to katharos "pure", though the name's true origin predates that folk etymology
The constellation
18 more branches of this family
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Karin peaked in the 1960s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
5,356 people · the #2,617 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 38,462 · median age 39
Among people named Karin living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 44 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Karin
People given the name Karin in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1979. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Karin deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Karin truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Karin fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Karin travels
Japanese Brazilian · pure (form of Katherine/Karen); chosen partly because it renders cleanly in Japanese katakana too
Scandinavian · pure (Swedish form of Katherine)
Keep exploring
Scandinavian baby names · Japanese Brazilian baby names · Dual-language baby names
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