The first name Carlos
A boy’s name from Portuguese.
Pronounced /ˈkɑɹ.loʊs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Portuguese origin
Borrowed from Portuguese and Spanish Carlos. Doublet of Carl, Charles, and Karl.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 28 boys were named Carlos, making it the 1,066th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2003, with 65 births (#401).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carlos with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carlos at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,418 boys born in the United States were named Carlos, the 150th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2001, when 6,842 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Carlos in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Carlos in Portuguese, Spanish and Tagalog too.
Famous people named Carlos
442 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carlos AlazraquiAmerican actor, born 1962
- Carlos SantanaAmerican guitarist, born 1947
- Carlos TevezArgentine footballer (born 1984)
- Carlos MenemArgentinean president between 1989 and 1999
- William Carlos WilliamsAmerican poet (1883-1963)
- Carlos MenciaAmerican stand-up comedian (born 1967)
- Carlos ValderramaColombian footballer, born 1961
- Carlos Saavedra LamasArgentine politician (1878-1959)
- Carlos QueirozEntrenador del seleccionado Chupamonda, born 1953
- Carlos Alberto ParreiraBrazilian football manager, born 1943
- Carlos BaccaColombian association football player, born 1986
- Carlos KameniCameroonian footballer (born 1984)
Questions
- What does the name Carlos mean?
- Borrowed from Portuguese and Spanish Carlos. Doublet of Carl, Charles, and Karl.
- What is the origin of the name Carlos?
- Borrowed from Portuguese and Spanish Carlos. Doublet of Carl, Charles, and Karl.
- How popular is the name Carlos?
- In 2025, 28 boys born in England and Wales were named Carlos, ranking 1,066th. Its peak was 2003, with 65 births.
- Is Carlos a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 309,076 US babies named Carlos since 1880 were boys.
- When was Carlos most popular?
- 2001 in the United States, when 6,842 babies were named Carlos, its highest rank at 59th.
- How do you pronounce Carlos?
- Carlos is /ˈkɑɹ.loʊs/, 2 syllables.
- Is Carlos also a surname?
- Yes. Carlos is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.