Total births
166
Unisex name · since 1915
Carel
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 166 babies named Carel, peaking in 1925. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9075
- among boys today
- 166
- born since 1915
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Carel is the #9075 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 166 recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show Carel recorded 166 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #9075 nationally today, ahead of 37% of boys, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2024.
- #9075 among boys today
- 166 born since 1915
- 1930s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carel is currently the #9075 unisex name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 166 born since 1915, peaking in the 1930s.
- #9075
- among boys today
- 166
- born since 1915
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Carel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9075
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Carel was born in this single decade.
1925
Single peak year
9 babies were named Carel in 1925 - its busiest year on record.
How Carel compares
166 35th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Carel's all-time total is 55% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 166 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 9 | 23 | 22,252 |
Carel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Carel's full recorded timeline at 1936, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1922, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1925 peak of 9 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Carel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1925
Current rank
#9,075
Active since
1915
Carel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2024
- Peak year (1925)
- 9
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Carel popularity over time - girls
60 total births recorded since 1924 (Carel as girls' name)
Carel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Carel's strongest decade.
40 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Carel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
24 births
- 1920s
1920s
38 births
- 1930s
1930s
40 births
- 1940s
1940s
21 births
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2020s
2020s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 40 births (24% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carel? ▼
Carel has been given to 166 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #9075 as of the latest data. 9 babies were born in 1925, its single highest year.
When was Carel most popular? ▼
Carel was most popular in the 1930s decade with 40 total births. The single peak year was 1925.
Is Carel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carel is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 166 births, and as a girl's name it has 60 births.
How long has the name Carel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Carel since 1915 -- 110 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Carel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carl, Carlos, Carter, Carson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Carel's data
- Carel's usage has stayed within range of its 1930s decade-level peak (40 total births) through the 2020s (21) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carel
Nearby Names Like Carel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carel
Carl Boy
#1031 504,827 births
Carlos Boy
#135 307,036 births
Carter Boy
#46 206,833 births
Carson Boy
#124 132,774 births
Carlton Boy
#2791 48,890 births
Compare Carel side by side: Carel vs Carl Carel vs Carlos Carel vs Carter
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carel
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carel: #9075 Unisex Name - 166 Births, Peak 1925." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Carel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.