Boy · Germanic, through Spanish
Carlos
Say it: KAR-lohs
Meaning
The Spanish and Portuguese form of Charles, from Germanic karl 'free man'.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
Borne by Spanish and Portuguese kings, it is one of the most widely used Hispanic names in the US.
Its wave through time
Most used in the 2000s
In the United States
- 296,222 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 2001, about 1 in 284 boys
- 2,446 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
SpanishPortugueseMexicanCentral AmericanCaribbeanBrazilianAmerican
The family of the name
| English | Charles |
|---|---|
| Italian | Carlo |
| German | Karl |
| Portuguese | Carlos |
Famous bearers
- Carlos Santana, Mexican-American guitarist
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Royal and noble genealogies
- Medieval Spanish and Portuguese chronicles and charters
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.