Karel
How to say it: KAH-rel · /ˈkɑrɛl/
Czech, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Charles, from Germanic 'karl' meaning 'free man' - e.g. Karel Capek.
Karel was the 11,818th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 5 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are down about 17% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #9,588 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #11,818 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 5 |
| Share of births | 1 in 663,068 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | −17% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #9,588 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,664 among boys’ names, 10 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Karel is climbing: the 2020s are already its best decade.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Karl
Honouring a Karel in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Karel is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Dutch, English, French, German.
In France: #1,664 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Karel
- Karel Čapek (1890–1938)Czech writer
- Karel Poborský (born 1972)Czech footballer
- Karel Gott (1939–2019)Czech singer and actor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Karel
Find names you'll both love, starting with Karel
The one-minute style quiz.