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Karim as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Karim

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The baby name Karim is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /kaˈriːm/ (kuh-REEM).

Karim is Arabic in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Arabic
Pronunciation: /kaˈriːm/ (kuh-REEM)

What is the meaning of the name Karim ?

The baby name Karim is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /kaˈriːm/ (kuh-REEM).

Karim is Arabic in Origin.

Karim is an Arabic masculine name from the triliteral root K-R-M, which conveys generosity, nobility, and honor. As an adjective it means "generous, noble," and it is also one of the 99 Names of God in Islam (al-Karim, "The Most Generous"), lending the name spiritual resonance across Muslim cultures. Related words include ikram ("hospitality") and karama ("dignity").

Attested since the earliest Islamic period, Karim spread through Arabic, Persian, Turkish, South Asian, and African languages via Qur'anic and cultural influence. Common spellings and cognates include Kareem (English/Urdu), Kerim (Turkish/Bosnian), and Karimov as a surname; feminine counterparts are Karima/Kareema/Kerime. The comparative/elative Akram is a distinct but related given name, and compounds like Abd al-Karim are theophoric. Notable modern bearers, such as Karim Aga Khan IV and footballer Karim Benzema, have kept the name internationally familiar. Connotations of generosity and honorable character make it a favored choice.

Karim has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Karim

Abd el-Krim Politician · Born 1882 · Republic of the Rif Abd el-Krim was a Moroccan revolutionary leader best known for leading the Rif rebellion against Spanish and French colonial rule in the 1920s. Born Mohammed ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi, he was also the president of the short-lived Republic of the Rif and became a major anti-colonial figure in North African history. Abd al-Karim Qasim Politician · Born 1914 · Ottoman Empire Abd al-Karim Qasim was a prominent Iraqi politician who played a key role in the 1958 revolution that overthrew the monarchy, establishing Iraq as a republic. He served as the country's Prime Minister from 1958 to 1963 and is known for his efforts to modernize Iraq and implement social reforms.

Karim – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
DZ Boys 0 #1 1 5
BF Boys 0 #4 42 439
DZ 0 #5 63,529 20,130
BF 0 #8 3 188
TN 0 #12 23,171 13,765
DJ 0 #17 1 322
MA 0 #21 78,548 20,986
EG Boys 0 #23 59,333 15,035
ET Boys 0 #27 1 678
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
EG 0 #30 2,839 6,387
DJ Boys 0 #31 6 657
BI Boys 0 #38 7 917
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
GE 0 #44 1 997
QA 0 #44 57 7,011
AF 0 #50 27 1,883
CM 0 #52 5 2,592
LB 0 #55 2,530 13,263
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
CY 0 #58 3 1,632
LU 0 #61 6 2,830
AE 0 #66 118 10,220
AF Boys 0 #74 319 3,535
MV Boys 0 #76 4 3,375
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
OM 0 #83 34 6,215
CN 0 #84 3 3,857
KW 0 #86 31 5,216
AF Girls 0 #87 8 2,402
LT 0 #88 1 949
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
KZ 0 #91 4 1,452
SD 0 #94 9 2,130
IQ 0 #103 27 3,533
SA 0 #106 219 10,560
GE Boys 0 #108 3 2,055
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
LY 0 #116 886 12,703
BN Boys 0 #117 17 6,332
ID Boys 0 #122 10 4,130
Switzerland Boys 2024 #123 15 1,769
AZ Boys 0 #123 9 1,400
CY Boys 0 #124 8 3,473
EE Boys 0 #124 2 2,087
JO 0 #124 14 2,158
KZ Boys 0 #124 248 6,578
Norway Boys 2025 #126 9 444
IR Boys 0 #127 1,680 10,162
PA 0 #131 8 3,797
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
Sweden Boys 2022 #142 41 1,509
KW Boys 0 #147 1,235 18,755
LT Boys 0 #148 4 2,166
GH Boys 0 #149 304 8,138
BW Boys 0 #151 4 4,685
GH 0 #151 101 5,396
MT Boys 0 #152 25 4,064
HU Boys 0 #153 22 3,954
RS Boys 0 #153 2 2,277
QA Boys 0 #155 1,000 18,093
IQ Boys 0 #162 1,257 13,071
CR 0 #163 3 5,526
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
Belgium Boys 2024 #169 20 401
BD 0 #169 59 5,992
LU Boys 0 #171 48 4,970
CZ 0 #178 9 3,154
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE Boys 0 #185 2,372 22,615
Spain Boys 0 #186 2,669 5,610
RU 0 #186 9 3,641
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AR 0 #192 2 2,915
DK 0 #194 10 5,198
PS 0 #201 18 5,692
Austria 0 #202 12 850
IR 0 #203 27 4,221
JO Boys 0 #207 219 7,057
SI Boys 0 #207 5 3,402
RU Boys 0 #208 449 12,621
PL 0 #210 3 2,600
BG Boys 0 #213 8 3,850
NL Boys 0 #216 1,887 5,873
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
DK Boys 0 #219 108 7,401
IT Boys 0 #221 7,031 10,046
SA Boys 0 #229 6,062 28,008
AO Boys 0 #232 11 5,568
GR Boys 0 #232 36 6,912
BD Boys 0 #233 522 10,045
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
OM Boys 0 #238 1,130 17,948
France Boys 2021 #243 157 2,865
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
Austria Boys 0 #248 220 2,180
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
NA Boys 0 #250 4 6,830
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
JM Boys 0 #251 22 6,876
TW Boys 0 #253 4 7,111
HR Boys 0 #255 5 3,997
Canada Boys 2024 #256 51 2,588
BH 0 #257 334 17,937
EC Girls 0 #257 2 3,650
IL 0 #259 16 6,291
CZ Boys 0 #269 36 6,530
PE 0 #269 42 6,350
YE 0 #270 115 8,639
NG 0 #271 2 5,926
SG 0 #276 7 11,010
GH Girls 0 #277 48 6,973
JP Boys 0 #278 20 7,909
SD Boys 0 #279 176 10,523
QA Girls 0 #285 32 15,378
CN Boys 0 #294 26 9,639
Finland 0 #296 12 830
Finland Boys 0 #299 132 2,041
SY 0 #300 713 11,684
PL Boys 0 #303 33 6,459
PT Boys 0 #315 53 7,951
CM Boys 0 #316 277 12,054
OM Girls 0 #316 81 15,987
MY 0 #318 13 12,352
MY Boys 0 #324 1,335 25,439
Germany Boys 0 #327 1,082 5,697
KZ Girls 0 #328 5 5,862
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
NL 0 #330 62 2,481
GT 0 #336 3 5,948
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
MU Boys 0 #339 19 8,477
BD Girls 0 #346 41 8,413
Spain 0 #354 99 2,326
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
EG Girls 0 #355 1,088 14,742
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
BR 0 #357 4 5,969
France Girls 1981 #359 3 1,634
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
PH Boys 0 #369 15 11,440
BO 0 #370 12 6,868
CL 0 #383 29 6,867
MX 0 #383 31 8,339
PS Boys 0 #384 169 10,655
Germany 0 #385 53 2,542
UY Boys 0 #385 15 5,922
PA Boys 0 #415 67 9,305
Finland Boys 2026 #426 326 3,552
PH Girls 0 #427 3 13,098
AR Boys 0 #444 24 7,628
CO 0 #462 19 7,768
IL Boys 0 #462 148 10,983
KW Girls 0 #466 50 19,177
CR Boys 0 #467 21 10,188
PA Girls 0 #467 15 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #468 37 11,303
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
ZA 0 #470 5 14,421
AE Girls 0 #474 80 20,968
SG Boys 0 #475 229 17,960
IR Girls 0 #480 51 8,334
GT Girls 0 #485 21 7,500
IT 0 #496 228 4,183
GT Boys 0 #497 3 7,625
UY Girls 0 #499 12 6,731
PE Girls 0 #503 581 14,861
CL Boys 0 #507 163 13,390
HK Boys 0 #513 15 12,905
RU Girls 0 #519 5 11,913
CM Girls 0 #524 17 11,671
MX Boys 0 #528 591 16,355
PS Girls 0 #545 3 10,981
BO Boys 0 #565 28 9,244
CR Girls 0 #569 5 11,342
BO Girls 0 #584 28 9,488
AR Girls 0 #587 13 8,289
United States Boys 2024 #602 305 7,044
IN Girls 0 #610 22 13,121
SG Girls 0 #631 2 18,916
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
HK Girls 0 #650 1 16,104
IN Boys 0 #666 356 16,750
CL Girls 0 #686 166 14,098
SA Girls 0 #689 247 25,931
BR Boys 0 #730 22 12,213
NG Girls 0 #771 16 15,093
Germany Girls 0 #811 28 4,949
PE Boys 0 #817 62 14,506
TR 0 #836 421 19,440
CO Boys 0 #842 79 15,656
NG Boys 0 #857 95 16,906
NL Girls 0 #916 40 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #918 66 5,561
United States Girls 2011 #920 5 9,736
BR Girls 0 #923 19 12,708
MY Girls 0 #949 46 24,821
CO Girls 0 #991 88 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,073 106 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,098 86 17,781
ZA Girls 0 #1,232 5 25,928
IT Girls 0 #1,249 198 9,415

Karim is popular in 94 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Canada
Switzerland
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Karim

Karim is predominantly a boy's name.
Karim is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /kaˈriːm/ (kuh-REEM).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kareem, Kerim and Karīm.
Across languages, Karim has these equivalents: Karima (feminine form), Karam (related name from same root, meaning 'generosity'), Kerem (Turkish cognate).
Yes, very popular — Karim ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Karim ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Karim's popularity is declining. It moved from #236 in 2011 to #243 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 2 notable people named Karim are in our database, including Abd el-Krim (Politician), Abd al-Karim Qasim (Politician).