Karan
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KA-ran
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,742 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #6,799 for boys
Karan is a boys' name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “ear”. In 2025 it ranked 2,742nd for boys in the UK (8 babies) and 6,799th for boys in the US (12 babies).
What does Karan mean?
Sanskrit: modern form of Karna
“ear”
Modern form of Karna, the tragic warrior hero of the Mahabharata and son of the sun god Surya.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Karan a girl's or a boy's name?
Karan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 8 boys in the UK and 12 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Karan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 2,742nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 8 about 1 in 37,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 8% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 8 boys in the UK were named Karan, making it the 2,742nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,462nd. Its busiest year was 1996, with 63 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Karan than any year since 2018.
Half of all the boys named Karan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,658th in England and Wales.
Karan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #2,742 |
| 2024 | 20 | #1,397 |
| 2023 | 17 | #1,571 |
| 2022 | 12 | #1,999 |
| 2021 | 16 | #1,619 |
| 2020 | 18 | #1,462 |
| 2019 | 23 | #1,230 |
| 2018 | 8 | #2,576 |
| 2017 | 13 | #1,922 |
| 2016 | 14 | #1,804 |
| 2015 | 18 | #1,476 |
| 2014 | 18 | #1,454 |
| 2013 | 19 | #1,398 |
| 2012 | 21 | #1,313 |
| 2011 | 19 | #1,385 |
| 2010 | 24 | #1,170 |
| 2009 | 31 | #956 |
| 2008 | 30 | #972 |
| 2007 | 27 | #991 |
| 2006 | 44 | #690 |
| 2005 | 39 | #730 |
| 2004 | 40 | #665 |
| 2003 | 22 | #953 |
| 2002 | 41 | #566 |
| 2001 | 46 | #498 |
| 2000 | 35 | #600 |
| 1999 | 50 | #478 |
| 1998 | 49 | #473 |
| 1997 | 44 | #486 |
| 1996 | 63 | #382 |
How popular is Karan in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 6,799th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 12 about 1 in 140,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 4% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 12 boys in the US were named Karan, making it the 6,799th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,616th. Its busiest year was 1995, with 78 boys. It first appears in the records in 1973.
Half of all the boys named Karan in the US since 1880 were born between 1995 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 30% of the babies named Karan in the US in 1988, and 11% in 2004.
Karan in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #6,799 |
| 2024 | 16 | #5,655 |
| 2023 | 16 | #5,661 |
| 2022 | 9 | #8,293 |
| 2021 | 16 | #5,557 |
| 2020 | 12 | #6,616 |
| 2019 | 16 | #5,551 |
| 2018 | 18 | #5,102 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5,522 |
| 2016 | 17 | #5,314 |
| 2015 | 23 | #4,293 |
| 2014 | 19 | #4,862 |
| 2013 | 30 | #3,495 |
| 2012 | 34 | #3,228 |
| 2011 | 28 | #3,694 |
| 2010 | 33 | #3,307 |
| 2009 | 47 | #2,622 |
| 2008 | 35 | #3,219 |
| 2007 | 38 | #3,023 |
| 2006 | 41 | #2,783 |
| 2005 | 63 | #1,979 |
| 2004 | 73 | #1,728 |
| 2003 | 68 | #1,761 |
| 2002 | 60 | #1,865 |
| 2001 | 77 | #1,560 |
| 2000 | 50 | #2,011 |
| 1999 | 73 | #1,528 |
| 1998 | 52 | #1,868 |
| 1997 | 53 | #1,787 |
| 1996 | 66 | #1,514 |
| 1995 | 78 | #1,322 |
| 1994 | 61 | #1,526 |
| 1993 | 36 | #2,157 |
| 1992 | 39 | #1,997 |
| 1991 | 34 | #2,137 |
| 1990 | 37 | #2,007 |
| 1989 | 22 | #2,778 |
| 1988 | 21 | #2,677 |
| 1987 | 17 | #2,938 |
| 1986 | 17 | #2,888 |
| 1985 | 7 | #5,142 |
| 1984 | 13 | #3,268 |
| 1983 | 8 | #4,497 |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 6 | #5,466 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 5 | #5,099 |
Names like Karan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Dylan, Declan, Ronan, Keegan, Kian, Kayden, Aiden, Keelan, Kieran, Logan, Ryan, Caelan
Names related to Karan
More Sanskrit names
Maya, Bodhi, Arya, Lila, Arjun, Aarav, Rohan, Kali, Aryan, Opal, Arjan, Vihaan, Aadhya, Avyaan, Ishaan, Siya
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Karan: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/karan, updated 20 October 2026.