How Many People Are Named Karol?
An estimated 8,040 people in the United States have the first name Karol. It is used for both genders, with 87.0% female. The average bearer is 49 years old, and Karol peaked in popularity in 2005 with 448 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Karol 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 Karol paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
8,040
About 1 in 42,631 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
87.0% confidence
Average Age
49
years old
Peak Year
2005
448 births
Total Registered
11,085
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Karol
Karol is predominantly female (87.0%), though 1,437 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Karol as a male name
Ranked #11,523 in 2023
6 male births in 2023
Peak: 2005 (132 births)
Karol as a female name
Ranked #3,775 in 2024
40 female births in 2024
Peak: 2005 (316 births)
Karol in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 11,198 people with the first name Karol, which placed it at #2,302 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, Karol was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 11,198 people with this name in that snapshot, 16.6% were male and 83.4% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 87.0% of the time.
Census Count
11,198
people with this name
Census Rank
#2,302
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
3.71
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Karol was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (61.92%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (31.80%) and Black (3.40%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Karol 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 Karol.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 61.92% | 6,935 |
| Hispanic | 31.80% | 3,562 |
| Black | 3.40% | 381 |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 153 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.12% | 125 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.39% | 44 |
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.
Karol: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Karol span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 2,295 babies were registered. Karol has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Karol by Decade
How has Karol 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.
Karol by State
Birth registrations for Karol span all 36 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Illinois. The lowest are in New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota. On average, about 182 Karols were registered per state.
Karol + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Karol as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Karol
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
Karol: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karol?
We estimate approximately 8,040 people named Karol 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 42,631 Americans share this first name.
Is Karol a common name?
Karol is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 11,085 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Karol most popular?
Karol reached peak popularity in 2005, when 448 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Karol is approximately 49 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Karol in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 11,198 people with the first name Karol. That placed it at #2,302 in the published Census first-name tables, or 3.71 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 Karol 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 Karol?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Karol was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 16.6% male and 83.4% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Karol?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Karol was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (61.92%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (31.80%) and Black (3.40%). 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 Karol a female name?
Karol is predominantly female. 87.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Karol 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. Karol peaked in 2005, and the average living bearer is about 49 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Karol Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Karol Smith, Karol Johnson, Karol 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.
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