FastNamesCarlos
Spanish and Portuguese name meaning "Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, derived from Germanic Karl, meaning 'free man' or 'valiant warrior'.". Ranked 150th for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Carlos
Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, derived from Germanic Karl, meaning 'free man' or 'valiant warrior'.
Linguistically, Carlos is classified under Spanish and Portuguese naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "KAR-lohs".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Carlos has been given to a total of 307,036 boys. It has also been given to 2,040 girls.
Peak year: Carlos reached its highest relative share among boys in 2001, when 6,842 babies received the name (3,522 per million births).
All-time best rank: 59th place, first achieved in 1999.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 150th with 2,418 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 118th (down 32 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Carlos in the 2000s than in any other decade (63,199 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 209 |
| 1890s | 252 |
| 1900s | 489 |
| 1910s | 2,110 |
| 1920s | 4,785 |
| 1930s | 5,553 |
| 1940s | 8,100 |
| 1950s | 15,821 |
| 1960s | 22,396 |
| 1970s | 36,949 |
| 1980s | 41,506 |
| 1990s | 55,185 |
| 2000s | 63,199 |
| 2010s | 35,301 |
| 2020s | 15,181 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Carlos is most common in the US
Accounting for when Carlos was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- New Mexico: 2.9 times the national rate (5,199 births since 1910).
- Arizona: 2.3 times the national rate (11,697 births since 1910).
- Texas: 2.3 times the national rate (60,608 births since 1910).
- California: 2.1 times the national rate (77,725 births since 1910).
- Nevada: 1.4 times the national rate (2,119 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Carlos?
About 273,000 living American boys and men share the name Carlos. Additionally, an estimated 1,800 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Carlos is 31 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Carlos
Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese equivalent of the Germanic personal name Karl, derived from the Common Germanic noun *karlaz meaning 'free man' (in contrast to a thrall or bonded laborer) or, by extension, 'valiant warrior' and 'husband'. The name rose to preeminent dynastic stature across medieval Europe through Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus, King of the Franks and first Holy Roman Emperor). Adopted across the Iberian Peninsula, Carlos became established among the royal families of Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Portugal, notably borne by Charles I of Spain (Emperor Charles V, 1500–1558), who ruled the Spanish Empire at the pinnacle of its global expansion.
Throughout the Golden Age of Spain and the colonization of the Americas, Carlos remained a standard baptismal name bestowed across New Spain, the Andes, the Caribbean, and the Río de la Plata. In twentieth-century Spanish literature and arts, the name was borne by literary heavyweights such as Mexican author Carlos Fuentes and Spanish poet Carlos Bousoño, as well as Argentine tango composer Carlos Gardel. In the United States, Carlos entered the SSA top 1,000 in the late nineteenth century and experienced sustained acceleration from the 1950s onward alongside the rapid growth of Hispanic communities in California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
Carlos reached its peak popularity in the United States during the late 1990s and early 2000s, cresting at rank 58 in 2001 with over 8,000 newborn boys. The name enjoys widespread affection across bilingual and multicultural households due to its international recognition, crisp two-syllable cadence, and dignified heritage. It is prominently represented in contemporary American and international culture by iconic guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana, entrepreneur Carlos Slim, and Grand Slam tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Notable people named Carlos
- Carlos Santana (1947–), Mexican-American rock guitarist, ten-time Grammy Award winner
- Carlos Slim (1940–), Mexican business magnate, telecommunications investor, and philanthropist
- Carlos Fuentes (1928–2012), Celebrated Mexican novelist, essayist, and diplomat
- Carlos Alcaraz (2003–), Spanish professional tennis player and multi-Grand Slam singles champion
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Roberto Faure. Diccionario de nombres propios (2002), p. 172-174.
- Patrick Hanks, Flavia Hodges. Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 51.