Karras
Of Greek origin signifying "accursed" or "wretched".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Karras. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Karras today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karras births was 1974 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karras. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karras. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1974
6 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1974 SSA rank
#4,944
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Karras: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Karras 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 Karras during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Karras
The name Karras is believed to have its origins in Greek culture and language. It is thought to be derived from the ancient Greek word "karpos," which means "fruit" or "crop." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals associated with agriculture or fertility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karras can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Xenophon, who lived from around 430 BC to 354 BC. In his writings, he mentions a character named Karras, although details about this individual are scarce.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Karras appeared to gain more prominence. It is believed that some individuals bearing this name held positions of religious or administrative importance within the Byzantine Empire.
In the 12th century, a monk named Karras is mentioned in the chronicles of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, Greece. He is described as a skilled scribe and calligrapher who contributed to the preservation and transcription of ancient manuscripts.
Another notable figure with the name Karras was Ioannis Karras, a Greek military leader and strategist who lived in the 17th century. He played a crucial role in the defense of the island of Crete against the Ottoman Empire during the Cretan War, which lasted from 1645 to 1669.
In more recent history, a prominent individual with the name Karras was William Peter Karras, an American professional football player who was born in 1935 and played as a defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) from 1958 to 1964.
Karras was also the name of a character in the 1973 horror film "The Exorcist," portrayed by actor Jason Miller. Although a fictional character, the name gained significant recognition and cultural relevance due to the movie's widespread popularity and impact.
While the name Karras has Greek roots and has been present throughout various historical periods, it is important to note that its prevalence and usage may have varied across different regions and cultures over time.
People
Karras + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karras 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
Karras: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karras?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karras 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Karras a common name?
We classify Karras as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karras most popular?
The single biggest year for Karras was 1974, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karras is about 48 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 Karras in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karras a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karras 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 Karras still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karras 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 Karras 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 Karras as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.