unisex name
Carel
- Origin Dutch
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 406
Carel is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 16% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2024 it was given to 8 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Carel is a name of Dutch origin.
- Peaked in 1940, when 11 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Carel over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2024, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 24 |
| 1920s | 43 |
| 1930s | 47 |
| 1940s | 63 |
| 1950s | 12 |
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 2000s | 6 |
| 2020s (to 2024) | 21 |
How popular is Carel?
In 2024, Carel was given to 8 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Carel is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Carel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Carel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Carel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Carel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Carel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Carel
How popular is the name Carel?
In 2024, Carel was given to 8 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Carel a girl's or a boy's name?
Carel is used for both girls and boys. About 16% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Carel?
Carel has 2 syllables.
When was Carel most popular?
Carel peaked in 1940, when 11 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Carel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Carel currently ranks #6,237 in the United States. After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.