Karel
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KAH-rel
- Origin
- Germanic
- US rank, 2025
- #12,003 for boys
Karel is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “free man”. In 2025 it ranked 12,003rd for boys in the US (5 babies).
What does Karel mean?
Germanic: Czech and Dutch form of Charles
“free man”
Czech writer Karel Capek's 1920 play R.U.R. introduced the word robot.
Is Karel a girl's or a boy's name?
Karel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Karel in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2014, with 6 boys.
Half of all the boys named Karel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Karel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | #5,193 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 3 | #4,913 |
| 2018 | 4 | #4,169 |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,161 |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 4 | #4,086 |
| 2014 | 6 | #3,125 |
| 2013 | 1 | #6,198 |
| 2012 | 3 | #4,999 |
| 2011 | 1 | #6,218 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 4 | #3,748 |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 4 | #2,531 |
| 1997 | 1 | #3,857 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Karel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #12,003among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 340,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5 boys in the US were named Karel, making it the 12,003rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 12,016th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 22 boys. It first appears in the records in 1916.
2025 had fewer boys named Karel than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Karel in the US since 1880 were born between 1962 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1963, 84% of the babies named Karel in the US were girls.
Karel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #12,003 |
| 2024 | 8 | #8,982 |
| 2023 | 22 | #4,606 |
| 2022 | 13 | #6,473 |
| 2021 | 6 | #10,794 |
| 2020 | 5 | #12,016 |
| 2019 | 11 | #7,168 |
| 2018 | 5 | #12,150 |
| 2017 | 5 | #12,241 |
| 2016 | 8 | #8,811 |
| 2015 | 7 | #9,562 |
| 2014 | 5 | #12,102 |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,650 |
| 2012 | 10 | #7,553 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 9 | #8,133 |
| 2009 | 17 | #5,332 |
| 2008 | 9 | #8,319 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 12 | #6,455 |
| 2005 | 15 | #5,273 |
| 2004 | 16 | #5,002 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7,824 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 8 | #7,529 |
| 2000 | 5 | #10,341 |
| 1999 | 10 | #6,036 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 9 | #6,094 |
| 1996 | 6 | #7,964 |
| 1995 | 6 | #7,785 |
| 1994 | 5 | #8,794 |
| 1993 | 9 | #5,764 |
| 1992 | 6 | #7,414 |
| 1991 | 8 | #5,934 |
| 1990 | 7 | #6,408 |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 12 | #3,910 |
| 1987 | 8 | #4,962 |
| 1986 | 7 | #5,327 |
| 1985 | 13 | #3,398 |
| 1984 | 6 | #5,557 |
| 1983 | 7 | #4,904 |
| 1982 | 7 | #5,001 |
| 1981 | 7 | #4,959 |
| 1980 | 6 | #5,523 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,056 |
| 1977 | 7 | #4,580 |
| 1976 | 8 | #4,010 |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 5 | #5,225 |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 8 | #3,620 |
| 1971 | 6 | #4,373 |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,722 |
| 1969 | 8 | #3,313 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 7 | #3,281 |
| 1963 | 5 | #4,047 |
| 1962 | 7 | #3,303 |
| 1961 | 5 | #4,063 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 6 | #3,618 |
| 1958 | 6 | #3,557 |
| 1957 | 7 | #3,255 |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 7 | #3,199 |
| 1954 | 6 | #3,450 |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 6 | #3,370 |
| 1951 | 8 | #2,842 |
| 1950 | 5 | #3,678 |
| 1949 | 9 | #2,605 |
| 1948 | 5 | #3,665 |
| 1947 | 6 | #3,369 |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 6 | #3,229 |
| 1942 | 8 | #2,711 |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 5 | #3,458 |
| 1939 | 7 | #2,829 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 6 | #3,146 |
| 1935 | 5 | #3,644 |
| 1934 | 9 | #2,563 |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 6 | #3,590 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 9 | #2,966 |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 6 | #3,543 |
| 1916 | 8 | #2,925 |
Names like Karel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Hugo Abel Jacob Noah Axel Henry Vinnie Isaac Charlie Lenny Caleb Austin
Names related to Karel
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Charlotte William Archie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles
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, “Karel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/karel, updated 20 October 2026.