Christian Pure

Karen Is Not in the Bible — Its “Pure” Meaning Comes from Katherine

Christian Pure Team

·

Published

·

Updated

Summary

  • Karen is not in the Bible. It is the Danish short form of Katherine, from the Greek Aikaterine, whose origin is unknown.
  • The meaning “pure” comes from an early Christian association with the Greek katharos; the Latin spelling was changed from Katerina to Katharina to match.
  • The nearest Bible name is Keren-happuch, Job’s third daughter (Job 42:14), Hebrew for “horn of antimony.” Karen and the Hebrew name Keren are not related.
  • Katharos is the word for “pure” in “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
  • Karen was among the most common names for American girls born in the 1950s and 1960s, long before its use as slang.

Karen is not in the Bible. It is the Danish short form of Katherine, a Greek name whose origin is unknown. Early Christians linked Katherine with katharos, the Greek word for “pure,” and that link is why Karen is so often said to mean “pure.” Where does the name Karen come from? Karen began in Denmark as a short form of Katherine and became common in the English-speaking world after the 1930s. In the United States it was the eighth…

Continue reading with a subscription

Get unlimited access to all our premium content and exclusive features.

Subscribe now

Enjoy unlimited access, cancel anytime.

Bibliography (Click to show)

Sources: Behind the Name entries for Karen, Katherine and Keren; Social Security Administration, top names of the 1950s and 1960s; Strong’s Hebrew lexicon H7161 (qeren) and H7163 (Keren-happuch) and Greek lexicon G2513 (katharos) via Blue Letter Bible; Scripture from the NIV via BibleGateway (Job 42:14-15; Matthew 5:8; Revelation 21:18).

Discover more from Christian Pure

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

RedditWhatsApp
Share to...
CopyLinkedInMastodonPinterestPrintRedditSMSThreadsWhatsAppBlueskyVK