Karen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Early Origins of the Karen family

The surname Karen was first found in Silesia, where the name gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Karen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Karen research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1745, 1839 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Karen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Karen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kern, Kerne, Kerrn, Kerns, Kernes, Kernns, Keerns, Kerrns, Keern, Kernn, Kernen, Gern, Cern, Kurn and many more.

Early Notables of the Karen family

More information is included under the topic Early Karen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Karen Ranking

In New Zealand, the name Karen is the 660^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,075 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Karen family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Abraham Kern, who took an oath of allegiance in Pennsylvania in 1731.

Contemporary Notables of the name Karen (post 1700) +

James Karen (1923-2018), born Jacob Karnofsky, an American character actor of Broadway, film and television
Anna Karen (1936-2022), born Ann McCall, a British-South African actress and former model best known for playing Olive in the sitcom On the Buses (1969–1973) and Aunt Sal in EastEnders on a recurring basis from 1996 to 2017; she also had roles in two Carry On films, Carry On Camping (1969) and Carry On Loving (1970)
Mr. Thomas Josef Derrick Paul Karen O.B.E. (b. 1926), born in Vienna, Austria, British designer of Czech descent, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Design 2
Katherine Karen Dunn (1945-2016), American best-selling novelist, best known for her novel Geek Love (1989)
Marcia Karen Wallace (1942-2013), American actress, game show panelist, voice artist, and comedienne, best known for her role on The Bob Newhart Show and her Emmy Award winning voice role on The Simpsons
Empressita Karen Schuck (b. 1993), Filipina actress and commercial model
Karen Sheila Gillan (b. 1987), Scottish multiple award winning actress and former model from Inverness, Scotland, known for Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) and many more
Karen Struthers (b. 1963), Australian politician, Minister for Community Services of Queensland (2009-2012)
Karen Yarbrough (1950-2024), American politician, Cook County Clerk (2018-2024), the first woman and African American to hold the position
Mrs. Karen Jones B.E.M., British organiser of Kingsland Cub Scouts, was appointed Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for services to the Kingsland Cub Scout Group 2

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists