Karen

In the United States, the name Karen carries a lot of baggage these days. Being "a Karen" is a phrase commonly used for a woman who is acting entitled, rude, and often racist. Secondly, the name is overwhelmingly female. For girls, it was actually one of the most popular names at one time, reaching as high as #3 on the U.S. Social Security Administration's top 1000 most popular baby names list in its 1965 heyday. For boys, though, the name Karen has never made the top 1000 list — or even close. In fact, while 226 girls were given the name Karen last year, zero boys in the U.S. were given that name.

But in Armenia, Karen is a male name, and it's actually very common. It's derived from ancient Iran's House of Karen (or Caren); the family was one of seven aristocratic families of the time, and ruled the Tabaristan region of Iran, in the modern-day province of Gilan. There have been several Iranian princes with the name Karen throughout history. The name is also seen in a longer form, in the version of Karekin or Garegin.

Unless you're dead-set on honoring an Armenian relative with a namesake, though, naming a son Karen in the United States is probably a decision you should second-guess. The name is declining in popularity even for girls, and almost never used for boys.

Some alternatives could be Kieran, Kary, Kason, Faron, or Aaron.