Kareem

Meaning of Kareem

Kareem, the Anglicized transliteration of the classical Arabic كريم‎, derives from the triliteral root k-r-m that conveys the qualities of generosity, nobility, and honor, and it functions both as a given name and, in the form Al-Karīm, as one of the 99 epithets of God in Islamic theology; consequently, the name carries an intrinsic spiritual gravitas across much of the Arabic-speaking and wider Muslim world. In Anglo-American contexts it entered public consciousness most prominently through basketball luminary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 1970s, an era that coincides with the name’s sharp, if brief, rise on United States birth registers before settling into a steady mid-range usage that has persisted for five decades, a pattern suggesting enduring but moderate appeal. Phonetically rendered in English as kuh-REEM (/kəˈriːm/), the name offers a sonorous, dignified cadence that aligns with its semantic legacy, while variant spellings such as Karim or Kerim attest to its adaptability across languages and orthographies. Altogether, Kareem presents prospective parents with a culturally resonant choice that blends virtuous meaning, distinguished historical associations, and consistent—yet not ubiquitous—popularity.

Pronunciation

Arabic

• Pronunced as kuh-REEM (/kəˈriːm/)

• Karim
• Karam