Karolis
A masculine Lithuanian name derived from the name Karl, meaning "free man".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Karolis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Karolis today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karolis births was 2001 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karolis. 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 Karolis with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karolis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2001
5 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2006 SSA rank
#13,034
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Karolis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Karolis 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 Karolis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Karolis
The name Karolis is a Lithuanian masculine given name derived from the Germanic name Karl, which ultimately traces its roots back to the Proto-Germanic word "karlaz" meaning "free man". The name Karl was later influenced by the Medieval Latin form "Carolus" and the Old French form "Charles".
In Lithuanian, Karolis is a form of the name that emerged in the 16th century, during the period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was popularized by the Lithuanian nobility and gentry, who often adopted Germanic names and titles. The name Karolis was particularly associated with the Radziwill family, one of the most influential noble families in the Grand Duchy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karolis can be found in the 16th-century chronicles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Karolis Radziwill (1546-1592), a prominent military leader and statesman, is mentioned in these historical records. He played a significant role in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and was a vocal supporter of the Union of Lublin.
Another notable figure bearing the name Karolis was Karolis Stanislovas Radziwill (1734-1790), a Lithuanian-Belarusian nobleman and politician. He served as the Grand Marshal of Lithuania and was a prominent figure in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's political and cultural life.
In the 19th century, Karolis Kalinauskas (1838-1864) was a Lithuanian writer, poet, and one of the leaders of the 1863 January Uprising against the Russian Empire. He is considered a national hero in Lithuania and is celebrated for his contributions to Lithuanian literature and the fight for independence.
The name Karolis also appears in religious contexts. Karolis Pažerskis (1865-1926) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest, writer, and translator. He played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Lithuanian language during the period of Russification in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another significant figure bearing the name Karolis was Karolis Donelaitis (1714-1780), a Lithuanian Protestant pastor and the author of the first Lithuanian literary classic, "The Seasons". His work is considered a masterpiece of Lithuanian literature and has had a lasting impact on the development of the Lithuanian language and culture.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Karolis, reflecting its deep roots in Lithuanian culture and its association with influential figures in various spheres of life, including politics, literature, and religion.
People
Karolis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karolis 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
Karolis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karolis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karolis 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Karolis a common name?
We classify Karolis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karolis most popular?
The single biggest year for Karolis was 2001, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karolis is about 22 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 Karolis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karolis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karolis 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 Karolis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karolis 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 Karolis 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 have Karolis as a first name?
You can see how many Americans are named Karolis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.