Carlos

Carlos - A very unique male name

Carlos appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #264. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Carlos and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Carlos? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Carlos. The baby boy name Carlos was given to 2,406 baby boys in 2025, ranking #151 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 609 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Carlos peaked in popularity 27 years ago in 1999 on position 59.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Carlos, 1-5?

Carlos is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Carlos is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #49 - and is the least popular in Idaho at position #383.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Carlos is where you live.

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Carlos origin and meaning

Spanish form of Charles, from Germanic Karl

'Free man' — the Spanish form of Charles

Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, borne by Spanish kings for centuries. In the US it peaked in 2001 and has held a remarkably steady place since, at #151 in 2025.

Attested etymology

Carlos is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Carlos, pop culture references for the name Carlos and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Carlos

We've found the following names that sound similar to Carlos, sorted by popularity.

Charles / Charleston / Carlisle / Carlis / Carles / Carlosdaniel / Corliss / Carols / Carlosmanuel / Charls /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Carlos

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Carlos a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Carlos?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KAR-lohs · /ˈkɑːrloʊs/

Around the world

• Charles (English) — The English form of the same name
• Karl (German) — The German form
• Carlo (Italian) — The Italian form

Spellings and nicknames

• Carlo — The Italian form in US data

Nicknames: CarlitosCharlie

Famous bearers

• Carlos Santana — Mexican-American guitarist and bandleader (b. 1947) Contemporary
• Juan Carlos I — King of Spain, 1975–2014 (b. 1938) Contemporary
• Carlos Alcaraz — Spanish tennis player and multiple major champion (b. 2003) Contemporary

Style

InternationalRoyalClassic

Why parents choose it

Carlos is a strong, dignified heritage name with kings and guitar legends behind it. Its steadiness makes it a family-tradition choice rather than a fashion one.

Worth knowing

• English speakers may drop the final s sound or say KAR-lohss loosely
• So common in Spanish-speaking families that a surname is always needed to specify