Kareem
Kareem is a given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honourable". It is also one of the Names of God.
- Arabic
Meaning & Origin of Kareem
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kareem is a given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honourable". It is also one of the Names of God.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arabic
The Story of Kareem
The earliest SSA record of Kareem as a baby boy name dates back to 1964, when 8 babies received it. 1980 was its biggest year on record, with 459 newborns named Kareem — #373 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Kareem ranks #662 for baby boys with 415 births, gradually rising (+10%). All told, over 19K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kareem
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kareem. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Kareem
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kareem 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 Kareem
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How popular is Kareem in 2026?
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About the name Kareem
Kareem is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1964 and has accumulated 19K births in the dataset. Kareem's peak popularity came in 1980 when it ranked #367. Use the chart and map above to compare Kareem's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1980 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- 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.