UK boy's name
Carlo
Derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "free man".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Carlo is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Carlo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1282, with 21 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 32 births.
This profile covers 709 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 66% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 854 living people in the UK are called Carlo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Carlo ranked #1282 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 21 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 32 boys were registered as Carlo.
- • Carlo ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #357 in 2007.
- • About 854 living people in the UK are estimated to have Carlo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1282
2024
Births in 2024
21
Latest year
Peak year
2019
32 births
Estimated living
854
2026
Meaning
What does Carlo mean?
The name Carlo originated from the Germanic word "karl", which means "free man" or "husband". It is a masculine given name that has been widely used across various cultures and regions.
Carlo is the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of the name Charles, which derives from the Frankish name Karl. The name gained prominence during the reign of Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, who ruled the Carolingian Empire from 768 to 814 AD. Charlemagne's name was derived from the Germanic words "karl" and "hing", which translates to "warrior" or "army leader".
The name Carlo can be traced back to ancient texts and historical records. In the Bible, the name appears in the Book of Revelation as "Karlos", which was a common name among early Christians. Additionally, the name was mentioned in various medieval texts and records from across Europe.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Carlo was Carlo Magno, better known as Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. He was born in 742 AD and is renowned for his military conquests, cultural achievements, and promotion of education and the arts.
Another notable figure in history with the name Carlo was Carlo Goldoni, an Italian playwright and librettist born in 1707. He is considered one of the most significant Italian dramatists and is known for his comedies that portrayed the lives of ordinary people.
Carlo Collodi, born in 1826, was an Italian author and journalist best known for his beloved children's book "The Adventures of Pinocchio". His innovative storytelling and vivid characters have captivated readers for generations.
Carlo Gambino, an Italian-born American mobster, was a prominent figure in organized crime during the 20th century. He was born in 1902 and became the boss of the Gambino crime family, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the United States.
Carlo Levi, born in 1902, was an Italian painter, writer, and activist. He is best known for his memoir "Christ Stopped at Eboli", which chronicled his experiences during his exile in southern Italy and provided insights into the lives of the rural poor.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Carlo, each leaving a significant impact in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage associated with this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Carlo over time
The chart below shows babies named Carlo registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Carlo, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 21 births in 2024, compared with 32 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carlo by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Carlo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1168 | 118 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1074 | 258 | 10 |
| 2000s | #856 | 257 | 10 |
| 1990s | #815 | 76 | 4 |
Geography
Where Carlo is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Carlo. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Carlo ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #357 in 2007.
Across the UK
Carlo in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#432 in 2024
36 years of NRS records, 147 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#357 in 2007
2 years of NISRA records, 6 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Carlo
-
Carlo Acutis
student; schoolchild; website designer; programmer
Italian Catholic saint
1991-2006
-
Carlo Monti
association football player
Scottish association footballer (born 1990)
1990-
-
Carlo di Ciacca
rugby union player
Scottish rugby union player
1977-
-
Carlo Nash
association football player
English association football player
1973-
-
Carlo Massini
(born 1970)
1970-
-
Carlo Gabriel Nero
screenwriter; film director
Italian-British filmmaker
1969-
-
Carlo Rota
actor; television actor; film actor
British-born Canadian actor
1961-
-
Carlo Martelli
composer
British musician
1935-
Related
Names similar to Carlo
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Carlo: questions and answers
How popular is the name Carlo in the UK right now?
In 2024, Carlo was ranked #1282 for boys in England and Wales, with 21 births registered.
When was Carlo most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 32 babies registered as Carlo in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Carlo?
Derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "free man".
How many people are called Carlo in the UK?
A total of 709 babies have been registered as Carlo across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 147 more in Scotland and 6 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Carlo most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Carlo ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #357 in 2007. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.