Carlos

Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Karl or Carl.

What does the name Carlos mean?

Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Karl or Carl. The name means 'the man' or 'the husband', but also 'the free one'. The first name Carlos is widely used not only in Spain and Portugal but throughout the entire Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. With almost 10 million name bearers, Carlos is even among the most common first names in the world. A Spanish and Catalan variant is Carles. The feminine form is Carla.

Where does the name Carlos come from?

The etymology of Carlos and its root name Karl is not definitively established. It likely derives from the Old Germanic word karaz (man) or its diminutive form karlaz (young, small man), which evolved into the Old High German word karal (man, husband, beloved). In Middle Low German, this developed into the word 'Kerl', a medieval term for a man/citizen who belonged to a class and was thus neither a slave nor a serf, but rather 'free'. Therefore, the name Karl and thus Carlos is often associated with 'the free man' or simply 'the free one'.

How do you pronounce Carlos?

Sound & pronunciation of Carlos: The name Carlos is two syllables and balanced in sound. Usually pronounced as 'Car-los' [ˈkaʁlɔs], it begins with an open A sound that conveys warmth. The consonant combination '-rl-' gives the name substance. The final s provides a distinct accent. Carlos feels lively and strong in character - a name with a southern timbre and clear line.

When is the name day of Carlos?

Carlos, as a variant of Karl, celebrates its name day on January 7, January 28, March 2, June 3, August 12, August 24, October 21, and November 4.

Popularity

Carlos is a very popular first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 472nd in the list of the most common male baby names. Its best placement was in 1976 at 130th. In the last ten years, Carlos has been given as a first name about 1,800 times, placing it 367th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 338th.

Nicknames & pet names

Cali / Calle / Calli / Car lost / Carl / Carlchen / Carli / Carlito / Carlitos / Carlo / Carlosi / Carlosito / Carlosso / Carlotte / Carly boy / Charlie / Cros / El Chapo / Kartellito / Walross

Similar first names

Famous people

• Carlos Alcaraz (tennis player)
• Carlos Angel Roa (Argentinian footballer)
• Carlos Armando Gruezo Quinonez (football player from Ecuador)
• Carlos Banteur (Cuban boxer)
• Carlos Betancur (cyclist)
• Carlos Bocanegra (American/Mexican footballer)
• Carlos Borja (Bolivian football player)
• Carlos Castaneda (shaman and author)
• Carlos Charlemoine (singer)
• Carlos Checa (Spanish motorcycle racer)
• Carlos Del Junco (Canadian blues musician)
• Carlos Edmundo de Ory (Spanish poet)
• Carlos Freire (football player from Portugal)
• Carlos Gardel (Argentinian tango singer)
• Carlos Ibanez (Chilean football player)
• Carlos Irwin Esteves (actor known as Charlie Sheen)
• Carlos Jacanamijoy (painter)
• Carlos Manuel Guedes Santos (Portuguese football player)
• Carlos Mencia (American comedian)
• Carlos Mirabal (American baseball player)