Fun Facts About the Name Karam
- More than 1 thousand babies named Karam: U.S. records list 1,631 babies given the name Karam from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Karam Mean?
Karam is an Arabic masculine name meaning "generosity," "bounty," or "nobility." It comes from the Arabic root k-r-m (ك ر م), which conveys honor, generosity, and noble character. The noun karam (كَرَم) is used as a personal name, and it is related to the adjective karīm (كريم, "generous, noble") and to the names Kareem and Akram, though it is a separate name rather than a short form of either.
A separate South Asian name spelled Karam derives from Sanskrit karma (कर्म), meaning "action," "deed," or "fate." In Punjabi, the form ਕਰਮ (karam) refers to deeds and their consequences, and it is a common element in Sikh and Punjabi names such as Karamjit and Karamveer. This name is not related by origin to the Arabic karam, even though both are written the same way in English. Some Punjabi and Sikh usage also associates the word with "grace" or "favor," an additional religious and linguistic layer rather than the Sanskrit literal sense.
Karam Name History & Origins
The Arabic name Karam belongs to a large group of Arabic personal names taken from words for desirable qualities. Its root, k-r-m, is ancient in Arabic and appears in classical vocabulary. In Islamic tradition, the related adjective karīm is used in the divine name al-Karīm ("the Generous"), and names such as Kareem and Akram share the same root. Karam is used as a male given name across the Arab world and in Muslim communities in Asia and Africa, and it also appears as a surname. Arabic naming customs spread with trade, scholarship, and religion, carrying the name into Persian-, Urdu-, and other Muslim-influenced regions.
The South Asian name Karam developed from the Sanskrit noun karma (कर्म), formed from the root kṛ ("to do, make") and a suffix that gives the sense "action" or "deed." In Punjabi, this became ਕਰਮ (karam), a word tied to the religious idea that actions have consequences. Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, discusses karma and the need for divine grace, and the term karam appears in Punjabi devotional and literary language. As a given name, Karam is used among Punjabi Sikhs, Hindus, and others, often in compounds such as Karamjit and Karamveer, and sometimes as a stand-alone male name. This South Asian name is distinct from the Arabic name spelled the same way in English.
How Popular is the Name Karam?
Karam has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2024. Its best rank was #1,370 in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,613 | 105 | 0.0061% |
| 2024 | #1,370 | 137 | 0.0080% |
| 2023 | #1,539 | 114 | 0.0067% |
| 2022 | #1,793 | 91 | 0.0052% |
| 2021 | #1,923 | 79 | 0.0045% |
| 2020 | #1,689 | 93 | 0.0054% |
| 2019 | #1,743 | 90 | 0.0050% |
| 2018 | #1,716 | 91 | 0.0050% |
| 2017 | #1,520 | 109 | 0.0059% |
| 2016 | #2,021 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2015 | #1,881 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 2014 | #2,166 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 2013 | #2,443 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2012 | #2,312 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2011 | #2,459 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2010 | #2,984 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 2009 | #3,875 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2008 | #3,528 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #7,351 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #5,191 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #4,932 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #5,126 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #3,787 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2002 | #3,620 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2001 | #5,278 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #4,689 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #4,652 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #5,312 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #5,476 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #8,460 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #6,686 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #9,564 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #9,465 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #6,399 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #7,760 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #5,598 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #7,441 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #6,850 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,904 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,722 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #4,385 | 8 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Karam Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Karam's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Karam's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.