boys' name ★ peaked 2001

Carlos

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #150 Trend → Stable

Carlos is a masculine given name, and is the Maltese, Portuguese and Spanish variant of the English name Charles, from the North Germanic Carl.

Rank 2025
#150
among boys · ↓15 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
2,418
named Carlos · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 706
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2001
6,864 babies
All-time total
309,076
#117 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Carlos popularity over time

309,076 babies have been named Carlos since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
123418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 209 209 21 – #318
1890s – 252 252 25 +21% #290
1900s – 489 489 49 +94% #239
1910s 5 2,110 2,115 212 +333% #271
1920s 65 4,785 4,850 485 +129% #224
1930s 101 5,553 5,654 565 +17% #208
1940s 98 8,100 8,198 820 +45% #184
1950s 175 15,821 15,996 1,600 +95% #162
1960s 268 22,396 22,664 2,266 +42% #110
1970s 434 36,949 37,383 3,738 +65% #70
1980s 447 41,506 41,953 4,195 +12% #71
1990s 276 55,185 55,461 5,546 +32% #59
2000s 130 63,199 63,329 6,333 +14% #59
2010s 31 35,301 35,332 3,533 -44% #89
2020s (to 2025) 10 15,181 15,191 2,532 -28% #135

Where Carlos is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 2,399 1.40 #154
2027 2,382 1.39 #156
2028 2,368 1.39 #156
2029 2,356 1.38 #157
2030 2,347 1.37 #159

Where Carlos is most popular

Boys named Carlos per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 1.47 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Carlos born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New Mexico 128 3.88 +164%
Arizona 615 3.76 +156%
Texas 2,950 3.35 +128%
California 2,393 2.62 +78%
District of Columbia 37 2.51 +70%
Nevada 139 2.44 +66%
Maryland 264 2.21 +51%
Colorado 260 2.01 +37%
Florida 814 1.72 +17%
Oklahoma 152 1.72 +17%
Nebraska 73 1.68 +14%
Delaware 25 1.65 +12%
North Carolina 393 1.54 +5%
Virginia 286 1.51 ≈ national
Illinois 378 1.48 ≈ national
Connecticut 98 1.45 ≈ national
Kansas 98 1.43 ≈ national
Rhode Island 23 1.41 ≈ national
New Jersey 280 1.39 -5%
Georgia 347 1.37 -7%
Washington 222 1.36 -8%
Tennessee 227 1.26 -14%
Oregon 95 1.25 -15%
South Carolina 122 1.18 -20%
Utah 106 1.11 -24%
Indiana 176 1.10 -25%
Arkansas 68 1.07 -27%
New York 459 1.06 -28%
Louisiana 108 1.06 -28%
Massachusetts 145 1.05 -28%
Alabama 115 1.05 -28%
Wisconsin 109 0.920 -37%
Minnesota 109 0.889 -40%
Wyoming 5 0.864 -41%
Mississippi 48 0.845 -43%
Iowa 58 0.841 -43%
Idaho 34 0.831 -44%
Pennsylvania 192 0.723 -51%
Missouri 99 0.714 -51%
Michigan 146 0.713 -52%
Kentucky 71 0.707 -52%
Ohio 152 0.574 -61%
Alaska – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Carlos

Carlos is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #150 in 2025 with 2,418 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 309,076 American babies have been named Carlos. Its peak came in 2001, when 6,864 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Carlos stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Carlos?

The median living Carlos is about 30 years old; half are between 19 and 46. An estimated 277 thousand people named Carlos are alive in the United States today.

median 30 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Carlos year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 2,418 #150
2024 – – 2,626 #135
2023 5 #15,648 2,557 #139
2022 5 #15,768 2,594 #147
2021 – – 2,506 #151
2020 – – 2,480 #149
2019 – – 2,846 #134
2018 10 #9,967 2,864 #138
2017 – – 3,075 #134
2016 – – 3,204 #129
2015 – – 3,421 #118
2014 – – 3,424 #118
2013 – – 3,684 #106
2012 7 #13,773 4,010 #95
2011 5 #17,285 4,182 #91
2010 9 #11,443 4,591 #89
2009 – – 5,379 #79
2008 6 #15,775 6,054 #73
2007 6 #15,860 6,420 #70
2006 13 #8,822 6,549 #70
2005 14 #7,977 6,563 #70
2004 16 #7,144 6,260 #71
2003 16 #6,947 6,218 #66
2002 20 #5,711 6,592 #65
2001 22 #5,222 6,842 #59
2000 17 #6,261 6,322 #66
1995 21 #4,699 5,545 #68
1990 44 #2,650 5,213 #75
1985 30 #3,020 4,089 #74
1980 48 #2,132 4,084 #78
1975 51 #1,810 3,793 #73
1970 28 #2,587 3,380 #98
1965 29 #2,211 2,131 #144
1960 29 #2,156 1,993 #167
1955 19 #2,557 1,703 #166
1950 15 #2,675 1,189 #188
1945 17 #2,076 719 #200
1940 10 #2,761 659 #201
1935 6 #3,813 559 #214
1930 11 #2,710 578 #222
1925 6 #4,513 471 #261
1920 10 #3,139 421 #267
1915 – – 273 #309
1910 – – 82 #271
1905 – – 58 #260
1900 – – 37 #360
1895 – – 20 #440
1890 – – 17 #439
1885 – – 28 #318
1880 – – 17 #428

Famous people named Carlos

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Carlos the Jackal Carlos the Jackal Venezuelan-born international terror operative (born 1949) Contemporary
  2. 2 Carlos Slim Carlos Slim Mexican business oligarch (born 1940) Contemporary
  3. 3 Carlos Ghosn Carlos Ghosn Fugitive, businessman, and former automotive executive (born 1954) Contemporary
  4. 4 Carlos Valderrama Carlos Valderrama Colombian footballer (born 1961) Contemporary
  5. 5 Carlos Valdes Carlos Valdes Colombian-American actor and singer (born 1989) Contemporary
  6. 6 Carlos Castaneda Carlos Castaneda American anthropologist and writer (1925–1998) Contemporary
  7. 7 Carlos Salinas de Gortari Carlos Salinas de Gortari President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994 b. 1948 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Carlos Menem Carlos Menem President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999 b. 1930 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Carlos Alberto Torres Carlos Alberto Torres Brazilian footballer and manager (1944–2016) Contemporary
  10. 10 Carlos I of Portugal Carlos I of Portugal King of Portugal from 1889 to 1908 1863–1908 · 19th century
  11. 11 Carlos Andrés Pérez Carlos Andrés Pérez President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and 1989 to 1993 1922–2010 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Carlos Alberto Parreira Carlos Alberto Parreira Brazilian football manager b. 1943 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Carlos Ruiz Zafón Carlos Ruiz Zafón Spanish novelist (1964–2020) Contemporary
  14. 14 Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Spanish film director and photographer (1932–2023) Contemporary
  15. 15 Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel Argentine singer, songwriter, actor and tango artist (1890–1935) 19th century
  16. 16 Carlos Monzón Carlos Monzón Argentine boxer (1942–1995) Contemporary
  17. 17 Carlos Bilardo Carlos Bilardo Argentine footballer and manager (born 1938) Contemporary
  18. 18 Carlos Reutemann Carlos Reutemann Argentine racing driver and politician (1942–2021) Contemporary
  19. 19 Carlos Fuentes Carlos Fuentes Mexican writer (1928–2012) Contemporary
  20. 20 Carlos Arias Navarro Carlos Arias Navarro Spanish politician (1908–1989) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Carlos, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Carlos?

The median living Carlos is about 30 years old. Half of all living Carloss are between 19 and 46 years old.

How many people named Carlos are alive today?

An estimated 277 thousand people named Carlos are alive in the United States, based on 309,076 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Carlos mean?

Carlos is a masculine given name, and is the Maltese, Portuguese and Spanish variant of the English name Charles, from the North Germanic Carl.

How popular is the name Carlos in 2025?

Carlos ranked #150 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,418 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Carlos?

309,076 babies have been named Carlos in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Carlos most popular?

Carlos peaked in 2001, when 6,864 newborns received the name.

Is Carlos a boy or girl name?

Carlos is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Carlos rising or falling?

Carlos is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Carlos become more popular?

Carlos looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 2,347 boys named Carlos in 2030, ranking around #159. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Carlos?

Well-known people named Carlos include Carlos the Jackal (extremist), Carlos Slim (businessperson), Carlos Ghosn (businessperson).

Names like Carlos

Names that sound and feel close to Carlos: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Carlos with similar names → More names starting with C →