Carlos first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Carlos has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Carlos

A masculine name of Spanish origin meaning "man, manly".

Popularity of Carlos by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Carlos is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Carlos being male.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 2,614 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Carlos.

YearMale CountFemale Count
20242,6140
20232,5465
20222,5805
20212,5000
20202,4690
20192,8400
20182,85810
20173,0740
20163,2040
20153,4200
20143,4220
20133,6820
20124,0087
20114,1805
20104,5889
20095,3780
20086,0516
20076,4166
20066,54513
20056,56214
20046,25916
20036,21816
20026,59020
20016,84222
20006,31917
19996,66418
19985,47916
19975,46120
19965,46426
19955,54321
19945,32825
19935,35035
19925,33731
19915,32940
19905,21344
19894,63745
19884,12553
19874,14542
19864,08957
19854,08830
19843,96542
19833,91341
19824,27051
19814,18438
19804,08748
19794,16445
19783,72948
19773,79451
19763,78840
19753,79251

The history of the first name Carlos

The name Carlos has its origins in the Germanic language and culture. It is derived from the word "karl", which means "man" or "free man". The name first appeared in the 8th century AD and was popular among the Frankish and Visigothic nobility.

In the 9th century, the name gained widespread popularity after Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, who was known as Carolus Magnus in Latin. His name was derived from the Germanic "Karloz", which later became Charles in French and Carlos in Spanish.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Carlos is in the 11th century, with Carlos Buen Hijo, a nobleman from the Kingdom of Navarre in modern-day Spain. During the Middle Ages, the name was widely used across Europe, particularly in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

The name Carlos has several historical references in religious texts and scriptures. In the Bible, there is a reference to a Carmelite friar named Carlos de Santa María, who lived in the 16th century and was known for his work in spreading Christianity in South America.

Throughout history, there have been many notable figures with the name Carlos. One of the most famous was Carlos I of Spain, also known as Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor who ruled in the 16th century from 1516 to 1556. Another notable figure was Carlos III of Spain, who reigned from 1759 to 1788 and was known for his many reforms and patronage of the arts.

In the realm of literature, there was Carlos Fuentes, a Mexican novelist and essayist who was born in 1928 and died in 2012. He was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and was known for his works that explored Mexican identity and culture.

In the world of music, there was Carlos Gardel, an Argentine singer, composer, and actor who was born in 1890 and died in 1935. He was a pioneer of the tango music genre and is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of Latin American music.

Finally, in the field of science, there was Carlos Juan Finlay, a Cuban epidemiologist who was born in 1833 and died in 1915. He is credited with discovering that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, a breakthrough that paved the way for the eradication of the disease in many parts of the world.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Carlos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carlos, please contact us.

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