Carlos
Boy name · #150 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Carlos? In official American birth records, Carlos has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Carlos ranks #150 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 2,418 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #118, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 744 boys born in 2025 was named Carlos.
Babies named Carlos per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Carlos first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2001, when 6,842 boys were named Carlos — good for #59 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carlos against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carlos in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Carlos is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Carlos is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carlos is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Carlos is most common in AZ (4 per 1,000), TX (3.1 per 1,000), NM (2.9 per 1,000), NV (2.6 per 1,000), CA (2.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Carlos is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Carlos
Statistically, parents drawn to Carlos tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jesus, Marcos, Luis, Nicolas, and Andres.
JesusMarcosLuisNicolasAndresClaytonAntonioConnor
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carlos | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,418 | #150 |
| 2024 | 2,626 | #135 |
| 2023 | 2,557 | #139 |
| 2022 | 2,594 | #147 |
| 2021 | 2,506 | #151 |
| 2020 | 2,480 | #149 |
| 2019 | 2,846 | #134 |
| 2018 | 2,864 | #138 |
| 2017 | 3,075 | #134 |
| 2016 | 3,204 | #129 |
| 2015 | 3,421 | #118 |
| 2014 | 3,424 | #118 |
| 2013 | 3,684 | #106 |
| 2012 | 4,010 | #95 |
| 2011 | 4,182 | #91 |
| 2010 | 4,591 | #89 |
| 2009 | 5,379 | #79 |
| 2008 | 6,054 | #73 |
| 2007 | 6,420 | #70 |
| 2006 | 6,549 | #70 |
| 2005 | 6,563 | #70 |
| 2004 | 6,260 | #71 |
| 2003 | 6,218 | #66 |
| 2002 | 6,592 | #65 |
| 2001 | 6,842 | #59 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Carlos?
In official American birth records, the name Carlos first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 17 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Carlos a popular boy name?
Carlos ranked #150 among boys in 2025 with 2,418 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #118.
When was the name Carlos most popular?
Carlos peaked in 2001, when 6,842 American boys received the name (ranked #59 that year). Since 2001 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carlos?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 744 newborn American boys was named Carlos. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.