Karnel
A masculine name of Hindu origin meaning "lotus flower".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Karnel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Karnel today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karnel births was 1993 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karnel. 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 Karnel with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karnel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1993
5 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,469
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Karnel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Karnel 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 Karnel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Karnel
The given name Karnel has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "karna," which means "ear" or "to hear." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals with good listening skills or those who were attentive to the words of others.
Historically, the name Karnel can be traced back to ancient Indian texts and scriptures. One notable reference is found in the Mahabharata, a renowned Hindu epic that dates back to around the 8th or 9th century BCE. In this epic, Karnel is mentioned as the name of a character who played a significant role in the events described.
The earliest recorded example of the name Karnel can be found in inscriptions and records from the Gupta Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent between the 4th and 6th centuries CE. During this period, the name was particularly popular among the ruling classes and nobility.
Over the centuries, several notable historical figures have borne the name Karnel. One such individual was Karnel Thapa (1785-1804), a Nepalese military leader who played a crucial role in the unification of Nepal under the Shah Dynasty. Another prominent figure was Karnel Singh (1886-1958), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who actively participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule.
In the realm of literature, Karnel Hussain (1927-2019) was an acclaimed Pakistani Urdu poet and scholar. His poetic works explored themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary, earning him numerous accolades and recognition throughout his lifetime.
Moving to the field of sports, Karnel Kapoor (born 1983) is a former Indian cricketer who represented the national team in various formats between 2003 and 2014. He is particularly remembered for his outstanding performances as a right-arm medium-fast bowler.
Lastly, Karnel Bhattacharya (1908-1949) was an Indian painter and sculptor who played a significant role in shaping the modern art movement in India. His iconic works, which blended traditional Indian themes with contemporary styles, have been widely exhibited and celebrated both nationally and internationally.
People
Karnel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karnel 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
Karnel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karnel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karnel 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Karnel a common name?
We classify Karnel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karnel most popular?
The single biggest year for Karnel was 1993, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karnel is about 32 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 Karnel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karnel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karnel 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 Karnel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karnel 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 Karnel 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 Karnel?
Want to know how many people have the name Karnel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.