UK boy's name
Karol
A feminine form of Charles, derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "warrior".
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.
Karol is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Karol popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 63 births.
This profile covers 602 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1997 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 6% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 669 living people in the UK are called Karol. 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
- • Karol ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 63 boys were registered as Karol.
- • Karol ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2014.
- • About 669 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karol as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2011
63 births
Estimated living
669
2026
Meaning
What does Karol mean?
The name Karol originated from the Germanic word "karl," which means "man" or "free man." It is derived from the ancient Proto-Germanic root "kar," meaning "man" or "warrior." This name has been in use for centuries and has been associated with various cultures and regions throughout history.
In the Middle Ages, the name Karol was widely used in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Germany. One of the earliest and most notable figures with this name was Karol the Great, better known as Charlemagne, who was the King of the Franks from 768 to 814 CE. He was a renowned monarch who played a significant role in shaping medieval Europe.
The name Karol also has strong connections to Christianity. In the 11th century, Saint Karol Borromeo, an Italian cardinal and a leading figure of the Catholic Reformation, was born in 1538 and canonized in 1610. His name has been widely used in Catholic communities across Europe.
Another notable figure with the name Karol was Karol XII, the King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He was known for his military campaigns and his efforts to transform Sweden into a great power during the Great Northern War.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the name Karol was Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II. Born in 1920 in Poland, he was the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years and played a crucial role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
Karol Szymanowski, a Polish composer and pianist, was another significant figure who lived from 1882 to 1937. He was a leading representative of the modern Polish music movement and is renowned for his works, which combined Polish folk elements with impressionism and romanticism.
The name Karol has been used across various cultures and regions, including Poland, Germany, Italy, and Sweden, among others. While its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic word "karl," it has been embraced by different communities and has become associated with notable historical figures, religious leaders, and cultural icons over the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Karol over time
The chart below shows babies named Karol registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Karol, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 63 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karol by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karol 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 | #2682 | 50 | 5 |
| 2010s | #849 | 377 | 10 |
| 2000s | #888 | 172 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2859 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Karol is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Karol. 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.
Karol ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2014.
Across the UK
Karol in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#720 in 2021
9 years of NRS records, 36 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#398 in 2014
8 years of NISRA records, 35 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Karol
-
Karol Itauma
boxer
Slovakian born British boxer
2000-
-
Karol Sikora
university teacher; oncologist
British oncologist
1948-
-
Karol Zbyszewski
teacher; writer; association football player; archivist; historian; soldier; journalist; opinion journalist; novelist; satirist
Polish journalist and satirist
1904-1990
-
Karol Maresch
military officer
Lieutenant colonel of the Polish Army
1898-1987
-
Karol Anders
military officer
colonel of the Polish Army
1893-1971
-
Karol Hettich
watchmaker
1867-1939
Related
Names similar to Karol
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Karol: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karol in the UK right now?
In 2024, Karol was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Karol most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 63 babies registered as Karol in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karol?
A feminine form of Charles, derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "warrior".
How many people are called Karol in the UK?
A total of 602 babies have been registered as Karol across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 36 more in Scotland and 35 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Karol most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Karol ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #398 in 2014. 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.