Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1939

Karel

Gender Unisex · 67% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

Karel is a masculine given name in Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Slovene and Swedish.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
5
named Karel
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1939
76 babies
All-time total
1,814
#6,582 all-time among girls
First recorded
1916
in Social Security records

Karel popularity over time

1,814 babies have been named Karel since 1916, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 14 14 1 – –
1920s – 9 9 1 -36% –
1930s 143 33 176 18 +1856% #842
1940s 361 39 400 40 +127% #1,014
1950s 331 51 382 38 -4% #1,354
1960s 194 38 232 23 -39% #2,093
1970s 41 53 94 9 -59% #5,213
1980s 41 79 120 12 +28% #7,716
1990s 57 74 131 13 +9% #7,775
2000s 40 90 130 13 -1% #11,939
2010s – 67 67 7 -48% –
2020s (to 2025) – 59 59 10 +47% –

The story of Karel

Karel is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1916, 1,814 American babies have been named Karel, about 67% girls and 33% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1939, when 76 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1930s.

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 Karel stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Karel?

The median living Karel is about 62 years old; half are between 33 and 74. An estimated 1,400 people named Karel are alive in the United States today.

median 62 020406080100

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

Karel 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 – – 5 #12,966
2024 – – 8 #9,421
2023 – – 22 #4,670
2022 – – 13 #6,659
2021 – – 6 #11,445
2020 – – 5 #13,081
2019 – – 11 #7,408
2018 – – 5 #13,161
2017 – – 5 #13,257
2016 – – 8 #9,281
2015 – – 7 #10,091
2014 – – 5 #13,077
2013 – – 7 #10,200
2012 – – 10 #7,845
2011 – – – –
2010 – – 9 #8,459
2009 9 #11,939 17 #5,430
2008 – – 9 #8,662
2007 7 #14,661 – –
2006 – – 12 #6,685
2005 – – 15 #5,438
2004 7 #13,438 16 #5,130
2003 5 #17,018 8 #8,239
2002 – – – –
2001 7 #12,713 8 #7,938
2000 5 #16,242 5 #11,303
1995 11 #7,775 6 #8,338
1990 7 #10,737 7 #6,804
1985 7 #8,741 13 #3,513
1980 – – 6 #5,905
1975 5 #9,707 – –
1970 10 #5,213 5 #5,091
1965 20 #2,779 – –
1960 26 #2,333 – –
1955 23 #2,307 7 #3,343
1950 36 #1,559 5 #3,950
1945 32 #1,432 – –
1940 50 #1,014 5 #3,710
1935 6 #3,987 5 #3,922
1930 – – 6 #3,808
1925 – – – –
1920 – – 9 #3,082
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Karel

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

  1. 1 Karel Čapek Karel Čapek Czech science fiction writer and playwright (1890–1938) 19th century
  2. 2 Karel Roden Karel Roden Czech actor (born 1962) Contemporary
  3. 3 Karel Poborský Karel Poborský Czech footballer (born 1972) Contemporary
  4. 4 Karel Reisz Karel Reisz British filmmaker (1926–2002) Contemporary
  5. 5 Karel Schwarzenberg Karel Schwarzenberg Czech politician and noble (1937–2023) Contemporary
  6. 6 Karel Gott Karel Gott Czech singer (1939–2019) Contemporary
  7. 7 Karel Doorman Karel Doorman Royal Netherlands Navy officer 1889–1942 · 19th century
  8. 8 Karel Zeman Karel Zeman Czech filmmaker (1910–1989) Contemporary
  9. 9 Karel Appel Karel Appel Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet (1921–2006) Contemporary
  10. 10 Karel Kramář Karel Kramář Czech politician (1860–1937) 19th century
  11. 11 Karel Brückner Karel Brückner Czech footballer and coach b. 1939 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Karel Kryl Karel Kryl Czechoslovak poet, singer, and songwriter (1944–1994) Contemporary
  13. 13 Karel Hynek Mácha Karel Hynek Mácha Czech poet (1810–1836) 19th century
  14. 14 Karel Havlíček Borovský Karel Havlíček Borovský Czech journalist, writer, and politician (1821–1856) 19th century
  15. 15 Karel van Mander Karel van Mander Flemish painter, poet and art historian (1548–1606) 16th century
  16. 16 Karel Ančerl Karel Ančerl Czech conductor and composer (1908–1973) Contemporary
  17. 17 Karel Jaromír Erben Karel Jaromír Erben Czech poet and folklorist (1811–1870) 19th century
  18. 18 Karel Lamač Karel Lamač Czech film director (1897–1952) 19th century
  19. 19 Karel Svoboda Karel Svoboda Czech composer (1938–2007) Contemporary
  20. 20 Karel Kachyňa Karel Kachyňa Czech film director 1924–2004 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Karel?

The median living Karel is about 62 years old. Half of all living Karels are between 33 and 74 years old.

How many people named Karel are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Karel are alive in the United States, based on 1,814 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Karel mean?

Karel is a masculine given name in Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Slovene and Swedish.

How popular is the name Karel in 2025?

Karel did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Karel?

1,814 babies have been named Karel in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Karel most popular?

Karel peaked in 1939, when 76 newborns received the name.

Is Karel a boy or girl name?

Karel is used for both: about 67% of babies named Karel have been girls and 33% boys.

Is the name Karel rising or falling?

Karel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Karel?

Well-known people named Karel include Karel Čapek (writer), Karel Roden (actor), Karel Poborský (soccer player).

Names like Karel

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

Compare Karel with similar names → More names starting with K →