Cartel
A name of Spanish origin associated with organized criminal groups.
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the first name Cartel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cartel today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cartel births was 2013 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cartel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Cartel with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
133
~ 1 in 2,577,100 Americans
Peak year
2013
14 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2022 SSA rank
#9,124
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Cartel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cartel from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 94 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cartel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cartel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cartels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Cartel
The name Cartel has its origins in the Spanish language, derived from the word "carta," which means "card" or "letter." It likely emerged during the 16th or 17th century in Spain or Spanish-speaking regions.
In its earliest usage, the term "cartel" referred to a written agreement or treaty between parties, often relating to commerce or the exchange of prisoners during times of war. It later came to be associated with organized groups involved in illegal activities, particularly drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises.
While the name Cartel does not have a direct association with any ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been recorded as a given name throughout history, though its usage has been relatively rare.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Cartel was Cartel de Maldonado, a Spanish explorer and navigator who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his voyages to the Americas and his contributions to the mapping of the Caribbean islands.
Another notable figure was Cartel Martínez, a Mexican revolutionary who fought alongside Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. He was born in 1889 and played a significant role in the battles against the federal forces.
In the world of literature, Cartel Fuentes was a renowned Spanish author and poet from the 20th century. Born in 1928, he was known for his works exploring themes of existentialism and the human condition.
Moving to the world of sports, Cartel Rodríguez was a professional boxer from Puerto Rico who competed in the lightweight division during the 1960s and 1970s. He held several regional titles and was known for his impressive knockout record.
Lastly, Cartel Guzmán was a Mexican artist and painter who lived in the late 19th century. He was celebrated for his vibrant depictions of Mexican landscapes and cultural scenes, capturing the essence of his homeland through his works.
People
Cartel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cartel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cartel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cartel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 133 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cartel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,577,100 US residents.
Is Cartel a common name?
We classify Cartel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 134 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cartel most popular?
The single biggest year for Cartel was 2013, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cartel is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cartel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cartel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cartel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cartel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cartel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cartel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Cartel?
Want to know how many people share the name Cartel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.