Carlos
Carlos is a masculine given name, and is the Maltese, Portuguese and Spanish variant of the English name Charles, from the North Germanic Carl.
Meaning & Origin of Carlos
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carlos is a masculine given name, and is the Maltese, Portuguese and Spanish variant of the English name Charles, from the North Germanic Carl.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Carlos
Carlos first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 17 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 6,842 Carloss were born — ranking #59 that year. As of 2026, Carlos ranks #133 for baby boys with 2,641 births, gradually falling (-5%). In total, more than 310K Carloss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Carlos
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Carlos I of Portugal (1863–1908), second to last King of Portugal
- Carlos II of Spain , last Habsburg King in Spain
- Carlos, Prince of Asturias (1545–1568), son of King Philip II
- Carlos III (1716–1788), King of Spain from 10 August 1759 to 14 December 1788
- Carlos IV (1748–1819), King of Spain from 14 December 1788, until his abdication on 19 March 1808
- Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855), first of the Carlist claimants to the throne of Spain
- Carlos (Calusa) (died 1567), king of the Calusa people of Florida
- Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (1930–2010), Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Carlos
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carlos is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carlos
What does the name Carlos mean?
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About the name Carlos
Carlos is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 310K births in the dataset. Carlos's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #59. Use the chart and map above to compare Carlos's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2001 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.