Kareem
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Kareem
A favorite Muslim name, Kareem first appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 1972 (jumping in at Number 405!), coinciding with the early career of basketball great turned writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Lewis Alcindor). It has continued to chart every year since.
Derived from the Arabic karuma, meaning "to be generous", the name encourages charitable and honorabe behaviour. Also transcribed as Karim, it is significant in Islamic tradition, al-Karīm being one of the 99 names of Allah.
Kareem is also given to girls.
Pronounced kah-REEM.
As of October 2026, Kareem ranked #702 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #367 in 1977.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #751 | 315 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #732 | 334 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #709 | 345 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #700 | 352 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #699 | 346 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #672 | 386 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #639 | 419 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #696 | 382 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #672 | 406 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #626 | 442 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #677 | 403 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #702 | 383 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Kareem for boys
Similar names
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Kareem on lists
Famous Kareems
- Kareem AbdulBoy
Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr), American basketball player
- Kareem RushBoy
American basketball player
- Kareem SalamaBoy
American country music singer
- Kareem MartinBoy
American NFL player
- Kareem KellyBoy
American NFL player