Carlos
The Spanish form of Charles, Germanic karl, “free man.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Carlos appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1970 to 2012. Its biggest year was 2001, when 6,842 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 59 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 150 for boys. All told, 309,076 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Karlos (2,018), Carlis (1,399), Carles (686), Carlus (535) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Charles
Explore Carlos interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 209 | No. 318 |
| 1890s | 252 | No. 289 |
| 1900s | 489 | No. 239 |
| 1910s | 2,110 | No. 270 |
| 1920s | 4,785 | No. 224 |
| 1930s | 5,553 | No. 208 |
| 1940s | 8,100 | No. 184 |
| 1950s | 15,821 | No. 162 |
| 1960s | 22,396 | No. 110 |
| 1970s | 36,949 | No. 70 |
| 1980s | 41,506 | No. 71 |
| 1990s | 55,185 | No. 59 |
| 2000s | 63,199 | No. 59 |
| 2010s | 35,301 | No. 89 |
| 2020s | 15,181 | No. 135 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.