Karime
A feminine Arabic name meaning "generous" or "noble".
Name Census estimates that about 2,500 living Americans carry the first name Karime. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karime today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karime births was 2004 (218 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karime. 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.
People living today
2.5K
~ 1 in 137,102 Americans
Peak year
2004
218 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,411
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Karime: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karime from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,461 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karime 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 Karime during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Karimes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Karime, while Washington, North Carolina, Kansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 137 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karime
The name Karime has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, tracing its origins back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "kareem," which means "noble," "generous," or "honorable." This name was widely used in the Arab world during the medieval period, reflecting the cultural values and ideals of that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karime can be found in the historical chronicles of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over vast territories from the 8th to the 13th centuries. In these texts, Karime was often used to refer to individuals of high social standing or those who exhibited exemplary moral qualities.
Throughout the centuries, the name Karime has been associated with various notable figures from the Islamic world. One such individual was Karime al-Hamdani, a renowned scholar and poet from present-day Yemen who lived during the 9th century. Her literary works, which celebrated the beauty of the Arabic language and explored themes of love and spirituality, have left a lasting impact on Arabian literature.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Karime was Karime al-Kabir, a 12th-century Sufi mystic and philosopher from Persia (modern-day Iran). His teachings and writings on the spiritual path and the nature of divine love were highly influential in the development of Sufism, a mystical tradition within Islam.
In the realm of Islamic rulers, Karime al-Rashid stands out as a notable figure. Born in the late 12th century, she was a Princess of the Ayyubid Dynasty, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Karime al-Rashid was known for her patronage of the arts, her support for scholars and artists, and her efforts to promote education and cultural exchange within her realm.
Moving forward in time, the 19th century saw the birth of Karime al-Zahawi, a prominent Iraqi poet and writer. Her works, which often explored themes of love, patriotism, and social justice, played a significant role in shaping the modern Arabic literary tradition. Karime al-Zahawi's poetry was widely celebrated during her lifetime and continues to be studied and appreciated by scholars and literary enthusiasts today.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Karime, each leaving their mark on various aspects of culture, literature, philosophy, and leadership. The name's rich heritage and symbolic connotations of nobility and generosity have undoubtedly contributed to its enduring popularity across the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.
People
Karime + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karime 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
Karime: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karime?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,500 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karime 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 137,102 US residents.
Is Karime a common name?
We classify Karime as "Rare". It ranks above 94.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,538 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karime most popular?
The single biggest year for Karime was 2004, when 218 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karime is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karime a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karime in the SSA data are female. 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.