Kareem is an English spelling of the Arabic Karim and means "generous" or "noble", one of the ninety-nine names of God in Islam. Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made this spelling famous in the United States after he adopted the name in 1971. Kareem ranked number 620 in 2000, peaked at number 606 in 2001 and has held a very steady place between 630 and 730 ever since, ranking number 702 in 2025.