boy's name
Karim
kuh-REEM
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 49,453
France
#460
2025 births
Karim means generous, and it is one of the ninety-nine names of God in Islam — al-Karim, the Generous — which is why the name carries weight beyond its ordinary sense as an adjective.
- Karim is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 1981, when 1,520 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 5,895 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1953.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Karim over time
Births per decade in France, 1950s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 285 |
| 1960s | 4,055 |
| 1970s | 11,820 |
| 1980s | 12,065 |
| 1990s | 5,560 |
| 2000s | 2,670 |
| 2010s | 1,980 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 855 |
What Karim means
Karim means generous, noble or honorable. The Arabic is an ordinary adjective as well as a divine attribute, so it describes character directly, and it doubles as a divine attribute in Islam.
Where Karim comes from
Karim is the Arabic karim, generous or noble, from a root concerning honor and open-handedness. It appears among the ninety-nine names of God as al-Karim, the Generous, and names taken from that list are often prefixed with Abd, servant of, giving Abdul Karim. The same root gives karam, generosity, and the Turkish and Persian forms Kerim. Our data shows France as its strongest market by a wide margin.
Karim in use
Karim peaked in France in 1981, when 1,520 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 460th in France on 100 births, 590th in England and Wales on 66, 634th in Ireland on 5 and 1089th in the United States on 198, across 49,453 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. England and Wales set its own peak of 75 births in 2024.
How popular is Karim?
In 2025, Karim was given to 100 babies in France, ranking #460 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Karim is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Karim
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Karim also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Karim over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Karim 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 Karim
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Karim — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Karim
What does the name Karim mean?
Generous or noble — the Arabic karim.
Is it one of the names of God?
Yes — al-Karim, the Generous, is among the ninety-nine.
What does Abdul Karim mean?
Servant of the Generous. Divine names are often prefixed with Abd in this way.
Where is Karim most used?
France at 460th, its strongest market by a wide margin.
How popular is the name Karim?
In 2025, Karim was given to 100 babies in France, ranking #460 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Karim a girl's or a boy's name?
Karim is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Karim?
Karim has 2 syllables.
When was Karim most popular?
Karim peaked in 1981, when 1,520 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Karim a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Karim currently ranks #460 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.