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'.
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 →
The Story of Karel
As a girl name
Karel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1932, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1939, when 69 Karels were born — ranking #838 that year. As of 2026, Karel ranks #11,456 for girls with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Karels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Karel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1916, with 8 babies given the name that year. 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). In total, more than 630 Karels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
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?
How popular is Karel in 2026?
When was Karel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Karel most popular?
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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.