boy's name
Carlos
KAR-los
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 323,700
the United States
#150
2025 births
Carlos is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "free man." It is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, from karl — a free peasant, neither noble nor bound.
- Carlos is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 2001, when 6,864 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,371 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Carlos over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 209 |
| 1890s | 252 |
| 1900s | 489 |
| 1910s | 2,115 |
| 1920s | 4,850 |
| 1930s | 5,654 |
| 1940s | 8,198 |
| 1950s | 15,996 |
| 1960s | 22,664 |
| 1970s | 37,383 |
| 1980s | 41,953 |
| 1990s | 55,461 |
| 2000s | 63,329 |
| 2010s | 35,332 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,191 |
What Carlos means
Carlos means free man. The Germanic karl described a legal status in early medieval society rather than freedom as an idea: a man who owned himself but held no title.
Where Carlos comes from
Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Germanic karl, by way of the Latin Carolus. Charlemagne — Carolus Magnus, Karl the Great — made the name imperial, and it entered Spain with the Habsburgs: Carlos I of Spain was also Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and ruled the largest European empire since Rome. The name has been continuously royal in Spain since. The same root gives Charles, Carl, Karl, Carlo and Charlie, and, less obviously, the English word churl, which soured from free man into an insult.
Carlos in use
Our data shows Carlos falling, peaking in 2001, and it first appears in our records in 1880. Its American use tracks Hispanic naming patterns closely, and its decline since 2001 mirrors a broader shift among Spanish-speaking families in the United States toward names that work in both languages.
How popular is Carlos?
In 2025, Carlos was given to 2,418 babies in the United States, ranking #150 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Carlos 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 Carlos
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Carlos also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Carlos over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Carlos
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Carlos in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Carlos
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Carlos — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Carlos
What does the name Carlos mean?
Carlos means "free man," from the Germanic karl.
Are Carlos and Charles the same name?
Yes — Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the same Germanic name.
Is Carlos a royal name?
Continuously in Spain. Carlos I was also Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, ruling the largest European empire since Rome.
How popular is the name Carlos?
In 2025, Carlos was given to 2,418 babies in the United States, ranking #150 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Carlos a girl's or a boy's name?
Carlos is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Carlos?
Carlos has 2 syllables.
When was Carlos most popular?
Carlos peaked in 2001, when 6,864 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Carlos?
Carlos is usually shortened to Carlitos and Carl.
Is Carlos a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Carlos currently ranks #150 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.