Kareem
A male given name from Arabic, variant of Karim.
Every Kareem since 1964 — 18,359 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Kareem
Kareem is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #702 in 2025 with 383 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1964, 18,359 American babies have been named Kareem. Its peak came in 1980, when 480 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
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 Kareem stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Kareem 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 | — | — | 383 | #702 |
| 2024 | — | — | 405 | #675 |
| 2023 | — | — | 442 | #628 |
| 2022 | — | — | 407 | #671 |
| 2021 | — | — | 382 | #696 |
| 2020 | — | — | 419 | #639 |
| 2019 | — | — | 386 | #672 |
| 2018 | — | — | 347 | #698 |
| 2017 | — | — | 352 | #700 |
| 2016 | — | — | 345 | #709 |
| 2015 | — | — | 334 | #732 |
| 2014 | — | — | 315 | #751 |
| 2013 | 5 | #17,912 | 352 | #683 |
| 2012 | — | — | 311 | #745 |
| 2011 | — | — | 306 | #743 |
| 2010 | — | — | 334 | #700 |
| 2009 | — | — | 314 | #741 |
| 2008 | — | — | 309 | #739 |
| 2007 | — | — | 314 | #731 |
| 2006 | — | — | 303 | #714 |
| 2005 | — | — | 294 | #700 |
| 2004 | — | — | 346 | #619 |
| 2003 | — | — | 299 | #664 |
| 2002 | — | — | 316 | #624 |
| 2001 | — | — | 324 | #606 |
| 2000 | 5 | #16,240 | 303 | #620 |
| 1995 | — | — | 293 | #601 |
| 1990 | 5 | #14,001 | 312 | #573 |
| 1985 | 5 | #11,455 | 279 | #522 |
| 1980 | 21 | #3,766 | 459 | #373 |
| 1975 | 16 | #4,020 | 417 | #380 |
| 1970 | — | — | 12 | #2,797 |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Kareem
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Basketball player · b. 1947
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kareem mean?
A male given name from Arabic, variant of Karim.
How popular is the name Kareem in 2025?
Kareem ranked #702 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 383 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Kareem?
18,359 babies have been named Kareem in the United States since 1964, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Kareem most popular?
Kareem peaked in 1980, when 480 newborns received the name.
Is Kareem a boy or girl name?
Kareem is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Kareem rising or falling?
Kareem is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Kareem?
Well-known people named Kareem include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (basketball player).