Boys' name · since 1964
Kareem
Since 1964, U.S. Social Security records show 18,161 babies named Kareem, peaking in 1980. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #872 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #701 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 18,161
- born since 1964
- 2010s
- peak decade
18,161 babies have been named Kareem since 1964, making it today's #701 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kareem has been recorded 18,161 times among boys since 1964, currently ranked #701 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1964 to 2025.
- #872 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #701 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 18,161 born since 1964
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kareem ranks #872 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #701 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 18,161 born since 1964, peaking in the 2010s.
- #872 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #701 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 18,161
- born since 1964
- 2010s
- peak decade
Kareem's 18,161 recorded births place it above 98.08% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Kareem compares
18,161 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Kareem's all-time total is 49x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kareem | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,161 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 459 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kareem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kareem's SSA record in two at 1996 and the more recent half accounts for 56% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 44%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1966, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1980 peak of 459, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kareem popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1964–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 459
- Annual births at peak, across 62 years of records
Kareem popularity over time - girls
198 total births recorded since 1972 (Kareem as girls' name)
Kareem by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (3,382 births, 19% of the file).
2010s was Kareem's strongest decade.
3,382 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Kareem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 18
1960s
18 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,967 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,066 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,168 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,122 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,382 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,438 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,382 births (19% of all-time use).
How Kareem 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 Kareem's total volume
Kareem by state
Where Kareem concentrates geographically, total births since 1964
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,597 | 19.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,495 | 8.2% |
| #3 | California | | 1,478 | 8.1% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 1,281 | 7.1% |
| #5 | Florida | | 1,165 | 6.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 891 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 824 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Texas | | 787 | 4.3% |
3,597 of 18,161 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Kareem appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kareem? ▼
Where does Kareem sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kareem most popular? ▼
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How long has the name Kareem been used? ▼
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What to do with Kareem's data
- Kareem's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,382 total births) through the 2020s (2,438) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Kareems (3,597 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kareem
Nearby Names Like Kareem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kareem
Compare Kareem side by side: Kareem vs Karl Kareem vs Karter Kareem vs Karson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kareem
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kareem: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1980)
Similar record span (~61 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, 1964–2025 (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 Kareem 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.