Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Carlos

Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese version of the French and English name Charles, which in turn comes from the Germanic word “karl” meaning ‘free man.’ Some etymological sources seem to suggest that the original word indicates a “free man” but not one of noble birth – which is ironic given the number of “noble” people that have borne the name throughout Europe for centuries. The name owes most of its popularity in Europe from medieval times thanks to the Frankish leader and the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. The name Charles was particularly popular among the Franks, who were a western European Germanic tribe, and big spreaders of Christianity in the Middle Ages. By the 15th century the name was pretty well spread throughout Europe – Charles in England and France, Karl in Germany, Carlo in Italy and Carlos in Spain and Portugal. In Spain, two kings bore the name Carlos in the 16th and 17th centuries. In Portugal, King Carlos I has the distinction of being the second to last king of Portugal before his assassination.

All About the Baby Name – Carlos

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME CARLOS

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME CARLOS

The name Carlos in America has followed the same pattern as other distinctly Spanish personal names. That pattern is growth. The Hispanic-American population in the United States has gone from 15 million in 1980 to 50 million in 2010. While peoples of Spanish-speaking origin have increased in sheer numbers, so too have their contributions to the American popularity chart of names. Carlos, along with seven other Spanish male names, have reached the the Top 100 list. If we just look at boys’ names on the American naming charts that originated from the Spanish language specifically, Carlos ranks in 7th place – right after Jesús and just before Miguel. Currently, Jóse, Juan, Xavier, Luis and Diego are the frontrunners. Carlos is a charming, boyish name and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it cross-over and gain more widespread success in coming decades.

Quick Facts

ON CARLOS

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Spanish

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

105

PRONUNCIATION:

KAHR-lohs

SIMPLE MEANING:

Free man

Characteristics

OF CARLOS

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Carlos

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CARLOS

Carlos is the overprotective father of the four daughters in Julia Alvarez’s 1991 novel, “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents.” For political reasons, the García family is forced to flee to New York from the Dominican Republic and begin a new life. Carlos has difficulty accepting his lower position in society as he is forced to re-establish his medical profession while struggling to support his family in this new country. The daughters are maturing and assimilating into American culture while clashing with the “old country” customs and expectations. The girls clash with their father much in the same way that the two cultures are colliding in this coming of age story about acculturation.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CARLOS

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Carlos


Popular Songs

ON CARLOS

Don Carlos
an opera by Giuseppe Verdi

Carlos, Man of Love
a song by Rodney Carrington [explicit]

Carlos Rossi
a song by E-40 [explicit]

Carlos (Don't Let It Go To Your Head)
a song by Pete Yorn

Famous People

NAMED CARLOS

Carlos Irwin Estévez (aka Charlie Sheen, actor)
Carlos Gutierrez (politician/businessman)
Carlos Mencia (comic/actor)
Carlos Ray Norris (aka Chuck Norris, martial artist/actor)
Carlos Watson (journalist)
Carlos Gardel (prominent figure in tango music)
Carlos Montoya (flamenco guitarist)
Carlos Santana (musician)
Carlos Pena, Jr. (singer/actor)
Carlos Cavazo (guitarist in Quiet Riot)
Carlos Zambrano (baseball player)
Carlos Castaneda (author)
Carlos Fuentes (author)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CARLOS

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Carlos

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CARLOS

William Carlos Williams was a renowned modernist American poet, who also just happened to be a general doctor and a pediatrician, who famously said he worked harder at the former than the latter. He lived, wrote and practiced in New Jersey, and always felt the need for a specifically fresh American voice, in opposition to what he saw as a tired and elitist tradition from Great Britain and Europe. His many works earned several prizes (many posthumous) and are widely anthologized. He would very likely have had more fame as a poet if a certain Thomas Stearns Eliot hadn’t published The Wasteland just a year before Williams’ own seminal work, Spring and All. He was certainly enough of a modernist to recognize the value of young Allen Ginsberg, for whose Howl and Other Poems he wrote the introduction in 1956. Williams was a mentor and figure of respect to many of the “beat” poets of the period – somehow one cannot imagine Mr. Eliot in that position!

The story of Don Carlos is a tragic one. He was the eldest son of the King of Spain, but lost his mother a month after he was born. At one time he was betrothed to Elizabeth I of England. As a member of the royal House of Habsburg, Carlos may have been a victim of inbreeding as was common among monarch families. This may have led to some of his physical and psychological ailments. When he was 17, Carlos fell down a flight of stairs. He recovered after surgery, but suffered enough of a head injury to cause a change in his behavior. Carlos became wild and erratic, apparently making threats and causing friction. His father eventually had the boy imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement. Don Carlos tragically died six months later and his legend inspired a couple of great works of art. One was Friedrich Schiller’s 18th century historic tragedy “Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien” which, in turn, inspired Giuseppe Verdi’s five-act Grand Opera, “Don Carlos.”