Karim

Karim - A very unique male name

Karim appeared on the charts for the first time in 1963 on position #1665. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Karim and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Karim? 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 Karim. The baby boy name Karim was given to 135 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1142 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 10,861 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Karim peaked in popularity 3 years ago in 2023 on position 706.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Karim, 1-5?

Karim is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Karim is currently topping the baby name charts in Illinois at position #733 - and is the least popular in North Carolina at position #1,378.

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 Karim is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Karim origin and meaning

Arabic

'Generous, noble, kind' — from Arabic karim

Karim is one of the classic Arabic names of character, also one of the names of God in Islam (al-Karim, the Generous). US use dates from 1963 and the name sits just below its 2023 peak.

Attested etymology

Karim is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Karim

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

Kareem / Kieran / Kyren / Kyron / Kiran / Karon / Kyran / Karen / Kyrin / Karam /

---

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 Karim

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 Karim 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 Karim?

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.

---

Pronunciation

kah-REEM · /kəˈrim/

Around the world

• Kerim (Turkish) — The Turkish form of the same name
• Karim (Persian) — Used as-is in Persian

Spellings and nicknames

• Kareem — The long-vowel transliteration, a separate established and more common US entry

Famous bearers

• Karim Benzema — French football striker for Real Madrid, winner of the 2022 Ballon d'Or (b. 1987) Contemporary

Style

InternationalVirtue

Why parents choose it

Karim names a quality — generosity — that is also a divine attribute in Islam, in the more traditional of its two common spellings.

Worth knowing

• Kareem is the more familiar US spelling and will be assumed