Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Kareem

Kareem is a variant of Karīm (كريم) which means “noble, generous” in Arabic. The name was made popular among English speakers thanks to superstar American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (b. 1947). Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., Abdul-Jabbar adopted the Arabic name in keeping with his Islamic faith (Kareem was raised Catholic but later became a Muslim in his 20s). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar distinguished himself as a college basketball player at UCLA in the late 1960s, was subsequently drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 before finally finding a permanent home with the Los Angeles Lakers (1975-1989). We know that Kareem means “generous and noble”; Abdul-Jabbar means “servant of the mighty one” (i.e., Allah). Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. converted to Islam because, as he says in his own words: “I was latching on to something that was part of my heritage, because many of the slaves who were brought here were Muslims.” Many other Black people did the same; it is the African-American people of the United States who have done more to popularize the usage of Arabic names.

All About the Baby Name – Kareem

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME KAREEM

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME KAREEM

Kareem first appeared on the American male naming charts in 1972. This was at the very beginning of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s professional career and the year following his noteworthy name change. The name debuted high on the charts (at position #405). While this is only considered low-moderate usage, it’s an impressive start. The highest Kareem ever reached on the charts was at #367 in 1977. Kareem’s success has mainly been restricted to the African-American community in the United States. Other Blacks have used Kareem in the same vein as the basketball luminary – i.e., in celebration of their heritage. Indeed, a “noble” reason.

Quick Facts

ON KAREEM

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

African-American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

681

PRONUNCIATION:

kә-REEM

SIMPLE MEANING:

Noble, Generous

Characteristics

OF KAREEM

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Kareem

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME KAREEM

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Kareem

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME KAREEM

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Kareem


Popular Songs

ON KAREEM

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Kareem


Famous People

NAMED KAREEM

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (basketball player)
Kareem Rush (basketball player)
Kareem McKenzie (football player)
Kareem Brown (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED KAREEM

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME KAREEM

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Kareem