| Karim | Idris | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Generous, noble | studious, learned (disputed) |
| Origin | Arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | kah-REEM | id-REES |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1957 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2023 (376) | 2025 (391) |
| In 2025 | 198 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Karim | Idris |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,613 | 1,938 |
| 2010s | 1,771 | 1,628 |
| 2000s | 1,242 | 543 |
| 1990s | 831 | 345 |
| 1980s | 646 | 283 |
| 1970s | 626 | 282 |
| 1960s | 132 | 0 |
| 1950s | 25 | 7 |
| 1910s | 0 | 5 |
Karim means “generous” or “noble”; al-Karim is one of the names of God.
Traditionally linked by Arabic sources to the root d-r-s (د-ر-س, 'to study, to learn'), giving 'studious, learned'; another old interpretation is 'interpreter'. Many scholars regard the ultimate origin as non-Arabic, since Idris is the Quranic prophet traditionally identified with the Biblical Enoch. The meaning is therefore disputed.
Karim is more popular than Idris today: about 198 US babies were given the name Karim in 2025, compared with 0 named Idris.
Karim means Generous, noble (Arabic origin), while Idris means studious, learned (disputed) (arabic origin).
In US records, Karim first appears in 1957 and Idris in 0, so Idris has the longer recorded history.