Kareem
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ka-REEM
- Origin
- Arabic
- UK rank, 2025
- #520 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #701 for boys
Kareem is a boys' name of Arabic origin, meaning “generous, noble”. In 2025 it ranked 520th for boys in the UK (82 babies) and 701st for boys in the US (383 babies).
What does Kareem mean?
Arabic: from Arabic karim
“generous, noble”
Al-Karim, the Most Generous, is one of the 99 names of God in Islam.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Kareem a girl's or a boy's name?
Kareem is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 82 boys in the UK and 383 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kareem in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #520among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 82about 1 in 3,700 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 44% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 82 boys in the UK were named Kareem, making it the 520th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 578th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 88 boys.
Half of all the boys named Kareem in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2022. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 151 boys in the UK were given Kareem or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #338, up from #520 for this spelling alone.
- Kareem 82
- Karim 69
Among boys in 2025, it was 487th in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.
Kareem in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 | #520 |
| 2024 | 88 | #504 |
| 2023 | 79 | #553 |
| 2022 | 79 | #545 |
| 2021 | 54 | #729 |
| 2020 | 73 | #578 |
| 2019 | 49 | #745 |
| 2018 | 51 | #741 |
| 2017 | 49 | #763 |
| 2016 | 48 | #771 |
| 2015 | 62 | #635 |
| 2014 | 50 | #719 |
| 2013 | 32 | #979 |
| 2012 | 43 | #815 |
| 2011 | 38 | #859 |
| 2010 | 36 | #883 |
| 2009 | 36 | #864 |
| 2008 | 29 | #997 |
| 2007 | 37 | #812 |
| 2006 | 18 | #1,256 |
| 2005 | 23 | #1,033 |
| 2004 | 20 | #1,071 |
| 2003 | 32 | #737 |
| 2002 | 24 | #846 |
| 2001 | 33 | #629 |
| 2000 | 26 | #743 |
| 1999 | 22 | #807 |
| 1998 | 24 | #749 |
| 1997 | 24 | #741 |
| 1996 | 28 | #629 |
How popular is Kareem in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #701among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 383about 1 in 4,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 7% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 383 boys in the US were named Kareem, making it the 701st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 638th. Its busiest year was 1980, with 459 boys. It first appears in the records in 1964.
Half of all the boys named Kareem in the US since 1880 were born between 1984 and 2013, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 594 boys in the US were given Kareem or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #508, up from #701 for this spelling alone.
Kareem in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 383 | #701 |
| 2024 | 405 | #675 |
| 2023 | 442 | #628 |
| 2022 | 407 | #670 |
| 2021 | 382 | #696 |
| 2020 | 419 | #638 |
| 2019 | 386 | #672 |
| 2018 | 347 | #696 |
| 2017 | 352 | #700 |
| 2016 | 345 | #708 |
| 2015 | 334 | #731 |
| 2014 | 315 | #751 |
| 2013 | 352 | #682 |
| 2012 | 311 | #743 |
| 2011 | 306 | #740 |
| 2010 | 334 | #698 |
| 2009 | 314 | #740 |
| 2008 | 309 | #739 |
| 2007 | 314 | #730 |
| 2006 | 303 | #714 |
| 2005 | 294 | #700 |
| 2004 | 346 | #618 |
| 2003 | 299 | #662 |
| 2002 | 316 | #622 |
| 2001 | 324 | #606 |
| 2000 | 303 | #620 |
| 1999 | 300 | #608 |
| 1998 | 313 | #595 |
| 1997 | 295 | #599 |
| 1996 | 301 | #596 |
| 1995 | 293 | #599 |
| 1994 | 357 | #541 |
| 1993 | 317 | #575 |
| 1992 | 348 | #548 |
| 1991 | 332 | #558 |
| 1990 | 312 | #572 |
| 1989 | 298 | #560 |
| 1988 | 289 | #538 |
| 1987 | 292 | #526 |
| 1986 | 254 | #557 |
| 1985 | 279 | #522 |
| 1984 | 246 | #551 |
| 1983 | 313 | #473 |
| 1982 | 319 | #473 |
| 1981 | 317 | #467 |
| 1980 | 459 | #373 |
| 1979 | 358 | #422 |
| 1978 | 361 | #408 |
| 1977 | 449 | #367 |
| 1976 | 380 | #398 |
| 1975 | 417 | #379 |
| 1974 | 326 | #438 |
| 1973 | 242 | #501 |
| 1972 | 378 | #405 |
| 1971 | 44 | #1,254 |
| 1970 | 12 | #2,738 |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 5 | #3,964 |
| 1966 | 5 | #3,946 |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 8 | #3,049 |
Names like Kareem
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Muhammad Raheem Ahmed Khalid Abdullah Hakeem Mustafa Umar Amir Hamza Musa Ibrahim
Other spellings of Kareem
Names related to Kareem
More Arabic names
Layla Mohammed Lyla Mohammad Zara Aaliyah Amira Fatima Ali Yahya Zayn Aisha Omar Zahra Kairo Safa
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, “Kareem: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kareem, updated 20 October 2026.