Rising since 1986, #1,084 for boys today.
Popularity of Karim since 1957
Babies named Karim per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 25 |
| 1960s | 132 |
| 1970s | 626 |
| 1980s | 646 |
| 1990s | 831 |
| 2000s | 1,242 |
| 2010s | 1,771 |
| 2020s | 1,613 |
Meaning & origin
Karim, an Arabic name meaning 'generous' or 'noble,' has been in use in the United States since at least 1957. Its popularity has shown a clear upward trajectory since 1986, with a peak rank of 1084 in 2025. In recent years, about 1 in every 8627 newborn boys was named Karim, reflecting steady but moderate usage. The name is most common in Illinois, New Jersey, and Arizona, states with significant Muslim and Arab-American communities. As a direct transliteration of an Arabic root that also appears as one of the 99 Names of God, Karim carries deep cultural and religious resonance for many families. Its rising popularity suggests a growing appreciation for names with strong spiritual meanings outside of their original cultural contexts.
Karim derives from the Arabic root k-r-m, conveying generosity and nobility. It is one of the 99 Names of God in Islam (al-Karim, the Generous). The name has been widely used across the Muslim world for centuries and appears in various forms in Persian, Urdu, and other languages influenced by Arabic.
Where Karim is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Karim” around the world
Where Karim lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
125
babies in 2024
Ireland
5
babies in 2025
Quebec
14
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Karim
Names that share Karim's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Amina, Layla, Zara, Nadia, Sana, Bayan, Karima, Malak, Shakira, Yasmeen, Karime, Nadeen, Naimah, Najah, Nawal, Nour, Raisa, Rasheeda, Razan, Safiya, Saida, Aicha, Alima, Basma, Dalal, Farida, Halimah, Hamdi, Kareema, Karimah, Kenza, Lamees, Latifa, Layal, Manar, Munira, Nadirah, Nasreen, Rasha, Rasheda, Salam, Samah, Sameera, Samra, Shams, Sharifa, Tahirah, Zeina, Afrah, Ammara, Azizah, Damira, Hanifa, Hiyab, Ikhlas, Jalilah, Jenan, Jood, Kareemah, Lubna, Rahima, Renad, Sadiyah, Sahira, Shadia, Shahidah, Shaima, Suad, Suhaila, Zafirah, Zareen, Enas, Afifa, Ahlaam, Carime, Fareeda, Ghalia, Hanin, Hebah, Hidayah, Hikma, Ikram, Imane, Jemila, Kalima, Lateefa, Sahiba, Shahed, Shareen, Shayma, Suheyla, Uzma, Yassmine, Zarinah, Zineb
Brothers: Hassan, Omar, Ali, Yusuf, Amir, Hasani, Jamil, Khaled, Malik, Raheem, Shakir, Akram, Ameen, Anwar, Aziz, Hadi, Hakim, Jad, Jalil, Khalif, Nabil, Nader, Naeem, Nasser, Rami, Rasheed, Rashid, Saad, Salim, Salman, Yamil, Alim, Amine, Anis, Ashraf, Azim, Basel, Bashar, Bashir, Emad, Farid, Fouad, Gamal, Ghassan, Hamed, Hamid, Imad, Jabbar, Jalal, Kaseem, Kasim, Kawan, Khaleel, Lateef, Latif, Majd, Majid, Mubarak, Munir, Ramzi, Sayed, Selim, Shaden, Shadi, Shaheed, Sherif, Talib, Tameem, Yaser, Yassine, Younes, Zakir, Zeyad, Adeeb, Amro, Asim, Askari, Atif, Basheer, Bassel, Burhanuddin, Fady, Farouk, Faysal, Haleem, Halim, Hussam, Issam, Jahad, Kamel, Khadim, Mansur, Muhsin, Riad, Saheed, Wassim, Zaim, Shahab, Wasim, Yahsir, Alassane, Ayad, Fadil, Fard, Hazim, Javed, Kalim, Kassem, Moataz, Morad, Mounir, Najib, Nasri, Nassim, Rashied, Saqib, Wahid, Zinedine
