Carlos
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KAR-los
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,133 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #150 for boys
Carlos is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “free man”. In 2025 it ranked 1,133rd for boys in the UK (28 babies) and 150th for boys in the US (2,418 babies).
What does Carlos mean?
Germanic: Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles
“free man”
The Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, borne by several kings of Spain and Portugal.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Carlos a girl's or a boy's name?
Carlos is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 28 boys in the UK and 2,418 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Carlos in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,133rd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 28 about 1 in 11,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 28 boys in the UK were named Carlos, making it the 1,133rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 960th. Its busiest year was 2003, with 67 boys.
Half of all the boys named Carlos in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,066th in England and Wales.
Carlos in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #1,133 |
| 2024 | 35 | #961 |
| 2023 | 33 | #1,008 |
| 2022 | 25 | #1,181 |
| 2021 | 24 | #1,227 |
| 2020 | 33 | #960 |
| 2019 | 36 | #909 |
| 2018 | 54 | #705 |
| 2017 | 42 | #844 |
| 2016 | 52 | #728 |
| 2015 | 45 | #790 |
| 2014 | 46 | #756 |
| 2013 | 48 | #746 |
| 2012 | 51 | #718 |
| 2011 | 60 | #635 |
| 2010 | 46 | #739 |
| 2009 | 67 | #561 |
| 2008 | 53 | #657 |
| 2007 | 63 | #555 |
| 2006 | 66 | #517 |
| 2005 | 60 | #519 |
| 2004 | 54 | #535 |
| 2003 | 67 | #429 |
| 2002 | 48 | #505 |
| 2001 | 50 | #465 |
| 2000 | 30 | #665 |
| 1999 | 53 | #458 |
| 1998 | 45 | #497 |
| 1997 | 34 | #571 |
| 1996 | 38 | #506 |
How popular is Carlos in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 150th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 2,418 about 1 in 710 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 7% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 2,418 boys in the US were named Carlos, making it the 150th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 149th. Its busiest year was 2001, with 6,842 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Carlos than any year since 1967.
Half of all the boys named Carlos in the US since 1880 were born between 1974 and 2005, the years shaded on the chart below.
Carlos in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,418 | #150 |
| 2024 | 2,626 | #135 |
| 2023 | 2,557 | #139 |
| 2022 | 2,594 | #147 |
| 2021 | 2,506 | #151 |
| 2020 | 2,480 | #149 |
| 2019 | 2,846 | #134 |
| 2018 | 2,864 | #138 |
| 2017 | 3,075 | #134 |
| 2016 | 3,204 | #129 |
| 2015 | 3,421 | #118 |
| 2014 | 3,424 | #118 |
| 2013 | 3,684 | #106 |
| 2012 | 4,010 | #95 |
| 2011 | 4,182 | #91 |
| 2010 | 4,591 | #89 |
| 2009 | 5,379 | #79 |
| 2008 | 6,054 | #73 |
| 2007 | 6,420 | #70 |
| 2006 | 6,549 | #70 |
| 2005 | 6,563 | #70 |
| 2004 | 6,260 | #71 |
| 2003 | 6,218 | #66 |
| 2002 | 6,592 | #65 |
| 2001 | 6,842 | #59 |
| 2000 | 6,322 | #66 |
| 1999 | 6,665 | #59 |
| 1998 | 5,481 | #69 |
| 1997 | 5,463 | #67 |
| 1996 | 5,464 | #67 |
| 1995 | 5,545 | #68 |
| 1994 | 5,329 | #72 |
| 1993 | 5,353 | #72 |
| 1992 | 5,342 | #69 |
| 1991 | 5,330 | #72 |
| 1990 | 5,213 | #75 |
| 1989 | 4,638 | #77 |
| 1988 | 4,127 | #80 |
| 1987 | 4,149 | #74 |
| 1986 | 4,090 | #76 |
| 1985 | 4,089 | #74 |
| 1984 | 3,964 | #74 |
| 1983 | 3,912 | #75 |
| 1982 | 4,268 | #71 |
| 1981 | 4,185 | #71 |
| 1980 | 4,084 | #78 |
| 1979 | 4,165 | #73 |
| 1978 | 3,729 | #78 |
| 1977 | 3,795 | #74 |
| 1976 | 3,787 | #70 |
| 1975 | 3,793 | #73 |
| 1974 | 3,871 | #71 |
| 1973 | 3,569 | #74 |
| 1972 | 3,434 | #84 |
| 1971 | 3,426 | #88 |
| 1970 | 3,380 | #98 |
| 1969 | 2,891 | #110 |
| 1968 | 2,497 | #121 |
| 1967 | 2,298 | #129 |
| 1966 | 2,159 | #138 |
| 1965 | 2,131 | #144 |
| 1964 | 2,195 | #150 |
| 1963 | 2,112 | #156 |
| 1962 | 2,119 | #157 |
| 1961 | 2,001 | #164 |
| 1960 | 1,993 | #167 |
| 1959 | 1,947 | #162 |
| 1958 | 1,904 | #165 |
| 1957 | 1,787 | #173 |
| 1956 | 1,796 | #166 |
| 1955 | 1,703 | #166 |
| 1954 | 1,611 | #173 |
| 1953 | 1,393 | #181 |
| 1952 | 1,258 | #188 |
| 1951 | 1,233 | #189 |
| 1950 | 1,189 | #188 |
| 1949 | 1,135 | #184 |
| 1948 | 1,027 | #193 |
| 1947 | 1,032 | #197 |
| 1946 | 867 | #199 |
| 1945 | 719 | #200 |
| 1944 | 689 | #211 |
| 1943 | 698 | #211 |
| 1942 | 660 | #221 |
| 1941 | 614 | #216 |
| 1940 | 659 | #201 |
| 1939 | 579 | #212 |
| 1938 | 583 | #210 |
| 1937 | 531 | #225 |
| 1936 | 536 | #217 |
| 1935 | 559 | #214 |
| 1934 | 559 | #217 |
| 1933 | 563 | #208 |
| 1932 | 520 | #231 |
| 1931 | 545 | #224 |
| 1930 | 578 | #222 |
| 1929 | 557 | #228 |
| 1928 | 583 | #224 |
| 1927 | 544 | #242 |
| 1926 | 496 | #250 |
| 1925 | 471 | #261 |
| 1924 | 452 | #268 |
| 1923 | 427 | #274 |
| 1922 | 441 | #270 |
| 1921 | 393 | #283 |
| 1920 | 421 | #267 |
| 1919 | 312 | #314 |
| 1918 | 348 | #294 |
| 1917 | 298 | #307 |
| 1916 | 234 | #352 |
| 1915 | 273 | #309 |
| 1914 | 210 | #313 |
| 1913 | 160 | #317 |
| 1912 | 124 | #341 |
| 1911 | 69 | #328 |
| 1910 | 82 | #270 |
| 1909 | 60 | #292 |
| 1908 | 56 | #290 |
| 1907 | 74 | #239 |
| 1906 | 50 | #281 |
| 1905 | 58 | #259 |
| 1904 | 38 | #322 |
| 1903 | 41 | #294 |
| 1902 | 37 | #317 |
| 1901 | 38 | #277 |
| 1900 | 37 | #357 |
| 1899 | 36 | #289 |
| 1898 | 30 | #350 |
| 1897 | 28 | #353 |
| 1896 | 30 | #352 |
| 1895 | 20 | #437 |
| 1894 | 25 | #367 |
| 1893 | 26 | #349 |
| 1892 | 24 | #384 |
| 1891 | 16 | #441 |
| 1890 | 17 | #434 |
| 1889 | 25 | #351 |
| 1888 | 29 | #343 |
| 1887 | 20 | #366 |
| 1886 | 16 | #451 |
| 1885 | 28 | #318 |
| 1884 | 13 | #520 |
| 1883 | 22 | #359 |
| 1882 | 20 | #399 |
| 1881 | 19 | #389 |
| 1880 | 17 | #425 |
Names like Carlos
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luis, Marcus, Lucas, Toby, Cruz, Matthew, Daniel, Adam, Rocco, Spencer, Joshua, Reggie
Other spellings of Carlos
Names related to Carlos
More Germanic names
Amelia, Liam, Henry, Charlotte, William, Archie, Charlie, Emma, Freddie, Ella, Harry, Millie, Albie, Matilda, Louie, Miles
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Carlos: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/carlos, updated 20 October 2026.