Carlos
Feminine · “a free man”
Carlos is given to boys far more often — 307,036 boys against 2,040 girls since 1880. See Carlos as a boy name
The last Spanish Habsburg carried this name and could barely eat. Two centuries of marrying cousins and nieces had produced a king whose jaw did not close, who was sickly from birth, and who — crucially for everyone else in Europe — could not produce an heir. He knew it, and so did every court on the continent.
How old is the name Carlos?
Carlos first appears in US birth records in 1913 — 112 years ago. The typical Carlos alive today was born around 1976, making them about 49 years old. About 1,800 people named Carlos are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Carlos most popular?
Carlos peaked in 1975, reaching #1807 nationally. See the whole 1975 chart.
Where it comes from
From Karl to Carlos
The story of Carlos
His death set off the largest war Europe had yet fought. He had signed a will leaving everything to a French prince, which would have joined the Spanish and French crowns; England, the Dutch and the Austrians went to war rather than allow it, and the fighting ran for over a decade across Europe and the Americas. The settlement broke up the Spanish empire's European holdings, put a Bourbon on the Spanish throne on condition he renounce France, and handed Britain both Gibraltar and a monopoly on selling enslaved people to Spanish America. One childless man's estate, redrawn as a continental treaty.
Meaning
a free man
The Germanic word behind the name described a man who was free but held no rank. Spanish took the name through the Frankish emperors rather than directly, which is why it arrives with the Latin ending attached.
How the name formed
- Karl
- Carolus
- Carlos
Related forms: Carlos · Carlos · Carlo · Charles
Pronouncing Carlos
KAR-lohs
Two syllables with the stress at the front. Spanish gives the final o a full clear vowel where English reduces it, which is the main audible difference.
Nicknames for Carlos
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1913
- Most girls named
- 198657 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1807reached in 1975
- Change vs 2018
- −50.0%5 in 2023, from 10
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Carlos in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Carlos in Spanish — same name
- Carlos in Portuguese — same name
- Carlo in Italian — same name
- Charles in French — same name
Carloss among us
people named Carlos are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Carlos sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is recognized instantly across the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world.
- It has an established affectionate form rather than an improvised one.
- The spelling and the sound agree completely in both languages.
- It is common enough that a child may not be the only one nearby.
- English speakers reduce the final vowel, which Spanish speakers notice.
- The record holds girls as well, and the girl is much the smaller side.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Carlos to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Carlos? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Carlos
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Carloss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,800 people named Carlos are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Carlos in 2025?
- Carlos is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Carlos with classmates?
- Carlos will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Carol#2239 · Cynthia#1013 · Catherine#313 · Christine#1272 · Carolyn#1222 · Christina#770 · Charlotte#2 · Cheryl#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Carlos? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Carlos and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle