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Karen (name)

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Karen (/ˈkærən/ KARR-ən) is a given name and occasional surname. In English, it is a feminine given name derived from the name Katherine, and it is also found in modern Africa, as well as in East Asia (particularly Japan). However, in other countries such as Iran and Armenia, it is a masculine name deriving from Middle Iranian. The name 'Karen' also became a popular nickname for middle aged women that easily resort to asking for management in the face of adversity.

English

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Karen entered the English language from Danish, where it has been a short form of "Katherine" since medieval times.[1] It became popular in the English-speaking world in the 1940s. The name Karen was one of the top 10 names for girls born in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, peaking as the third most popular girl's name in 1965.[2]

Variants include Caren, Caryn, Karena, Karin, Karyn, and others.[3]

Due to its increasingly common derogatory use since 2017, the name has become significantly less popular in the United States in recent years.[4]

Armenian

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In Armenia Karen (Armenian: Կարեն, IPA: [kɑˈɾɛn]) is a common masculine given name.

The masculine given name Karen derived from the Parthian name of House of Karen (or Caren), one of the seven aristocratic families of ancient Iran. Several Iranian princes named Karen are known before and after the Islamic period. The Karen house ruled the Tabaristan region of Iran, which approximately corresponds to the current provinces of Gilan state and Mazandaran.

The masculine given name Garen is a Western Armenian form of the Eastern Armenian Karen.

The masculine given name Karen was mentioned by the prominent Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi (ca. 410–490s AD; Armenian: Մովսես Խորենացի) in his book History of Armenia.[5]

Karen can also be a surname.

In East Asia

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In East Asia, Karen is a feminine given name. The name can be found in Japan. It may come from 可憐 ("pretty, lovely"),[6] 華蓮 (combining kanji meaning "flower" and "lotus or water lily")[7] or other meanings.

Notable people

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First name

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Surname

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  • Anna Karen (1936–2022), South African British actress
  • James Karen (1923–2018), American actor
  • Tom Karen (1926–2022), Austrian-born British industrial designer

West Asian people

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Armenian people

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Surname

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Iranian people

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  • Zarmihr Karen (died 558), Iranian nobleman and Sasanian governor of Zabulistan

East Asian people

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Fictional people

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Live action

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Animation

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Print

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  • Karen Page, a character created by Marvel Comics
  • Karen Starr, a character created by DC Comics, civilian identity of Power Girl

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fijok, Ivana (2012). Onomastics as evidence of linguistic influence (info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis). Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Department of English Language and Literature.
  2. ^ Davidson, Andrew (2007), Population Statistics for Karen, Raleigh, NC: nameplayground.com
  3. ^ Вehind the Name – Karen (1)
  4. ^ "'Karen' the least popular name for baby girls in the U.S (now that it's a social media slur)". National Post. June 3, 2021.
  5. ^ History of the Armenia by Movses Khorenatsi: Book_2_#28 and Book_2_#68
  6. ^ 可憐の英訳
  7. ^ Behind the name – Karen (3)
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