| Gender | female (in Germanic languages and Japan), male (in Thailand) |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | pure |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Katherine, Katrin, Karen, Karine, Karyn |
Karin or Carin is a common feminine given name in various Germanic languages (geographically including Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Switzerland), and Estonia and Slovenia, and in some French-speaking areas, as well as Japanese.
In most of its Western forms, Karin was originally a Swedish form of Katherine, but in English speaking countries is usually thought of as an alternate spelling for Karen.
The Japanese name Karin (花梨, かりん) means Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis), quince (Cydonia oblonga) or Burmese rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus) and is unrelated to the Western forms.
In Thailand, it is written as กา ริน and read as 'karin'. However, in Thailand it is mainly used as a male name.