Pure or little spear
Kairen is a modern rare name with multiple potential etymological paths. It is often considered a masculine variant of Karen or Katherine, meaning pure, or a phonetic variation of the Gaelic name Kieran, meaning little dark one. In some contexts, it is linked to the name Kyran, derived from the Greek name Kyros.
Less common today
Kairen isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #3,921 in 2025.
US births per 5-year period, 1990βpresent (SSA data).