Karina means pure or dear — from the Latin cara (dear/beloved) or a K-variant of Carina. Anna Karina was Jean-Luc Godard's muse and the face of the French New Wave. Karina is a hurricane name. The Carina constellation contains some of the most luminous stars in the sky. Three syllables of New-Wave cinema, hurricane force, and the most luminous stars.
Three syllables with a warm, international sound: kah-REE-nah.
The meaning pure/dear is dual and beautiful.
The Carina constellation contains extraordinarily luminous stars.
Kari is a warm embedded nickname.
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The vibe of Karina
puredearAnna KarinaFrench New WaveGodardhurricaneCarina constellationluminous
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Origin & history of Karina
Latin cara (dear) or Greek katharos (pure)→K-variant Karina
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Greek / Scandinavian roots
Karina may come from the Latin cara (dear/beloved) or be a K-variant of Carina. Anna Karina (1940–2019) was Jean-Luc Godard's muse and the face of the French New Wave. The Carina constellation contains some of the sky's most luminous stars.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: International variant; Anna Karina (1940–2019).
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Today
Karina remains a beloved choice, ranking #619 in the US. 61,350 babies have been named Karina since 1956.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Karina?
1995peak year
Today, Karina is rarely chosen — ranked around #619, with only about 499 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 1995, 2,985 babies were given the name (ranked #109 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 1990s. Karina has been declining in recent years. In all, around 61,350 babies have been registered as Karina since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Karina's Life Path 3 is the communicator's number — New-Wave communication. People named Karina tend to be luminous, beloved, and gifted at being someone's most important muse.
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