Karim
A masculine Arabic name meaning "generous" or "noble".
Name Census estimates that about 6,586 living Americans carry the first name Karim. It is a predominantly male name (99.1% of registrations). The average person named Karim today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karim births was 2023 (376 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karim. 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.
Key insights
- • Although Karim is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 58 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
6.6K
~ 1 in 52,043 Americans
Peak year
2023
376 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#819
Tracked since 1957
Gender
Gender distribution for Karim
Out of the 6,746 babies given the name Karim since 1880, 99.1% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Karim as a male name
- Ranked #819 in 2024
- 305 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (376 births)
Karim as a female name
- Ranked #18,155 in 2011
- 5 female births in 2011
- Peak: 1979 (11 births)
Popularity
Karim: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karim from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,776 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Karim remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karim 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 Karim during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Karims live
The SSA's state-level files cover 29 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Karim, while Wisconsin, Utah, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 161 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karim
The name Karim is derived from the Arabic word "karīm," which means "generous," "noble," or "honorable." It has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, originating in the Middle East around the 7th century AD.
Karim is considered one of the names of Allah, or God, in Islamic tradition, and it appears in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It is mentioned as one of the attributes of Allah, describing Him as the Most Generous and Bountiful.
The earliest recorded use of the name Karim dates back to the early days of Islam, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. One of the most famous historical figures with this name was Karim Khan Zand, the founder of the Zand dynasty in Persia (modern-day Iran), who ruled from 1751 to 1779.
Another notable figure was Karim al-Kabir, a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 9th century AD and made significant contributions to the field of algebra.
In the literary world, Karim Khan Kermani was a renowned Persian poet and writer who lived in the 18th century and is considered one of the most influential figures in Persian literature.
Karim Benzema, born in 1987, is a French professional football player who currently plays as a striker for Real Madrid and the French national team. He is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and has won numerous titles, including multiple UEFA Champions League trophies.
Karim Rashid, born in 1960, is an Egyptian-Canadian industrial designer known for his unique and distinctive designs that incorporate vibrant colors and organic forms. He has designed products, furniture, and interior spaces for various brands and companies worldwide.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Karim, highlighting its rich cultural and historical significance.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Karim
People
Karim + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karim as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Karim: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karim?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,586 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karim 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 52,043 US residents.
Is Karim a common name?
We classify Karim as "Rare". It ranks above 97.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6,746 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karim most popular?
The single biggest year for Karim was 2023, when 376 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karim is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karim a male name?
Yes, 99.1% of people registered as Karim 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.
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.