Boys' name · since 1880
Carlos
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 307,036 babies named Carlos, peaking in 2001. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #117 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #150 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 307,036
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
307,036 babies have been named Carlos since 1880, making it today's #150 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Carlos recorded 307,036 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #150 nationally today, ahead of 99% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #117 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #150 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 307,036 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carlos ranks #117 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #150 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 307,036 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #117 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #150 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 307,036
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
Carlos's 307,036 recorded births place it above 99.74% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Carlos compares
307,036 Top 1% higher than 99% of 13,930 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
Carlos's all-time total is 832x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carlos | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 307,036 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,842 | 34 | 22,252 |
Carlos's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Carlos's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 92% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 8%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1884, with only 13 births recorded -- set against the 2001 peak of 6,842, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Carlos popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 6,842
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Carlos popularity over time - girls
2,040 total births recorded since 1913 (Carlos as girls' name)
Carlos by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (63,199 births, 21% of the file).
2000s was Carlos's strongest decade.
63,199 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Carlos births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 209
1880s
209 births
- 1890s 252
1890s
252 births
- 1900s 489
1900s
489 births
- 1910s 2,110
1910s
2,110 births
- 1920s 4,785
1920s
4,785 births
- 1930s 5,553
1930s
5,553 births
- 1940s 8,100
1940s
8,100 births
- 1950s 15,821
1950s
15,821 births
- 1960s 22,396
1960s
22,396 births
- 1970s
1970s
36,949 births
- 1980s
1980s
41,506 births
- 1990s
1990s
55,185 births
- 2000s
2000s
63,199 births
- 2010s
2010s
35,301 births
- 2020s 15,181
2020s
15,181 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 63,199 births (21% of all-time use).
How Carlos compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Carlos's total volume
Carlos by state
Where Carlos concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 77,725 | 25.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 60,608 | 19.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 25,532 | 8.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 15,765 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 12,969 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 11,697 | 3.8% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 8,021 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 6,515 | 2.1% |
77,725 of 307,036 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Carlos appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carlos? ▼
Where does Carlos sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Carlos most popular? ▼
Where is Carlos most popular? ▼
How long has the name Carlos been used? ▼
What names are similar to Carlos? ▼
What to do with Carlos's data
- Carlos's decade-level peak was the 2000s (63,199 total births); usage has since declined to 15,181 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carloss (77,725 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carlos
Nearby Names Like Carlos
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carlos
Compare Carlos side by side: Carlos vs Carl Carlos vs Carter Carlos vs Carson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carlos
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Carlos: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2001)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Carlos 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 August 2026.