unisex name
Karel
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 3,155
Karel is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 49% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1939, when 76 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 663,130 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Karel started out as a girls' name and is now given almost entirely to boys.
- First appears in US birth records in 1916.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Karel 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 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 14 |
| 1920s | 9 |
| 1930s | 176 |
| 1940s | 400 |
| 1950s | 382 |
| 1960s | 232 |
| 1970s | 94 |
| 1980s | 120 |
| 1990s | 131 |
| 2000s | 130 |
| 2010s | 67 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 59 |
How popular is Karel?
In 2025, Karel was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Karel 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 Karel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Karel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Karel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Karel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Karel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Karel
How popular is the name Karel?
In 2025, Karel was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Karel a girl's or a boy's name?
Karel is used for both girls and boys. About 49% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Karel?
Karel has 2 syllables.
When was Karel most popular?
Karel peaked in 1939, when 76 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Karel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Karel currently ranks #2,830 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Karel originally a boys' or girls' name?
Karel was given mostly to girls in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to boys.