Karleen is a name of Dutch origin, derived from the Dutch surname Karlijn. The surname Karlijn is said to be a variant of the Dutch given name Karoline, which itself is derived from the Latin name Carolina. This name has its roots in the Late Latin word "carulus," meaning "strong" or "freeholder."
The name Karleen first gained popularity in the English-speaking world during the mid-20th century. It was likely brought over by Dutch immigrants who settled in countries such as the United States and Canada, where it became more commonly used.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Karleen or its variants. For instance, Karlijn Sileghem is a Belgian astronomer known for her work on exoplanets, while Karoline von Günderrode was a German poet who lived during the Romantic period.
While it may not be as widely recognized as some other names of Dutch origin, such as Janssen or van den Berg, Karleen remains a unique and distinct name that carries with it a rich history and cultural heritage.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Karleen experienced significant popularity and fluctuation in the United States during the early to mid-20th century before declining sharply in recent decades.
The name first appeared on record with five births each in 1914 and 1916. It then showed a steady increase over the following years, reaching its peak popularity between 1935 and 1948, with birth counts ranging from 37 to 59. This period of nearly two decades marked the most successful era for the name Karleen in the United States.
However, after 1948, the popularity of the name began a steady decline. Between 1950 and 1964, birth counts decreased from 43 to 74, indicating that fewer parents were choosing the name Karleen for their daughters during this time.
The downward trend continued through the late 20th century and into the early 21st century. From 1970 onwards, the number of annual births with the name Karleen fluctuated between a low of three to a high of 33, with most years registering fewer than 30 births.
In recent decades, the popularity of Karleen has been very low in the United States, with double-digit birth counts occurring only once since 2000 (25 births in 2000). In the most recent years on record (2017-2020), the name appeared fewer than ten times each year.
In total, there have been 2,756 births with the name Karleen recorded in the United States since 1914. Despite its once-significant popularity, the name has become quite rare today.