A Lela Karon here. My Dad chose the spelling. I am (over-the-hill) and my Mother still insists on spelling it Karen. Mind you this is the same woman that told me when I went home in first grade with instructions to "learn" my mothers "proper" name to tell the teacher her name was "Mother". I got sent into the hall to sit because I could not follow directions....Hummmm. I can now take a DIY book and fix just about anything around my house. My next project is to build a log cabin with a gambrel roof !!!!!