How Many People Are Named Carel?
An estimated 88 people in the United States have the first name Carel. It is used for both genders, with 73.5% male. The average bearer is 55 years old, and Carel peaked in popularity in 1940 with 11 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Carel as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Carel paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Carel is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
88
About 1 in 3,894,936 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
73.5% confidence
Average Age
55
years old
Peak Year
1940
11 births
Total Registered
226
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Carel
Carel is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (73.5%) and females (26.5%). Out of 226 total births registered, 166 were male and 60 were female.
Carel as a male name
Ranked #9,097 in 2024
8 male births in 2024
Peak: 1925 (9 births)
Carel as a female name
Ranked #5,629 in 1959
6 female births in 1959
Peak: 1949 (11 births)
Carel in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 459 people with the first name Carel, which placed it at #21,915 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Carel was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 459 people with this name in that snapshot, 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 73.5% male.
Census Count
459
people with this name
Census Rank
#21,915
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.15
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Carel was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (49.45%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (21.54%) and Hispanic (14.29%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Carel in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Carel.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 49.45% | 225 |
| Black | 21.54% | 98 |
| Hispanic | 14.29% | 65 |
| Two or More Races | 10.11% | 46 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 4.62% | 21 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Carel: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Carel span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 9 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1940s, when 63 babies were registered. While Carel is less common than at its peak in the 1940s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Carel by Decade
How has Carel tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Carel + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Carel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Carel
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
Carel: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carel?
We estimate approximately 88 people named Carel are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 3,894,936 Americans share this first name.
Is Carel a common name?
Carel is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 62.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 226 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Carel most popular?
Carel reached peak popularity in 1940, when 11 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Carel is approximately 55 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Carel in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 459 people with the first name Carel. That placed it at #21,915 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.15 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Carel was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Carel?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Carel was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Carel?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Carel was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (49.45%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (21.54%) and Hispanic (14.29%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Carel a male name?
Carel is predominantly male. 73.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Carel have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Carel peaked in 1940, and the average living bearer is about 55 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Carel Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Carel Smith, Carel Johnson, Carel Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me