Karel
Karel is a masculine given name in Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Slovene and Swedish. It is a variant of the English and French name Charles, meaning 'free man'.
- Dutch
- Czech
- Slovene
Meaning & Origin of Karel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Karel is a masculine given name in Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Slovene and Swedish. It is a variant of the English and French name Charles, meaning 'free man'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Dutch
- Czech
- Slovene
The Story of Karel
As a girl name
American parents first put Karel on the record books as a girl name in 1932, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1939, when 69 Karels were born — ranking #838 that year. About 30% of every Karel on record arrived during the 1940s, its defining decade. Karel last appeared in the published SSA data in 2009, with 9 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Karel on the record books as a boy name in 1916, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 22 Karels were born — ranking #4,606 that year. As of 2026, Karel ranks #5,926 for boys with 15 births, rising sharply (+125% over the past five years). All told, over 630 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Karel
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Karel. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Karel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Karel 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 Karel
What does the name Karel mean?
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How popular is Karel in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Karel most popular?
Is Karel a unisex name?
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About the name Karel
Karel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1932 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Karel's peak popularity came in 1939 when it ranked #838. Use the chart and map above to compare Karel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1939 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.