boy's name
Karl
KARL
- Origin German
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 123,064
Northern Ireland
#508
2022 births
Karl means free man, and it is the original German spelling behind Charles — the word named a free peasant, so it began at the bottom of the free classes and rose to name emperors.
- Karl is a name of German origin.
- Peaked in 1960, when 2,614 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 30,985 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Karl over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 419 |
| 1890s | 589 |
| 1900s | 792 |
| 1910s | 4,715 |
| 1920s | 5,836 |
| 1930s | 7,753 |
| 1940s | 9,740 |
| 1950s | 18,798 |
| 1960s | 21,404 |
| 1970s | 10,872 |
| 1980s | 9,622 |
| 1990s | 6,132 |
| 2000s | 2,800 |
| 2010s | 1,625 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 654 |
What Karl means
Karl means free man. The Germanic karl named a free peasant specifically, a man belonging to no lord, rather than freedom as an abstract quality.
Where Karl comes from
Karl is the German form of the Germanic karl, a free man of the ordinary class — above a serf and below a noble. Charlemagne, Carolus Magnus, made it an imperial name, and it became the word for a king in several Slavic languages: the Polish król, the Czech král and the Russian korol all descend from Charlemagne's name. It went down as well as up, giving the English churl. Karl Marx and Carl Jung carry the two spellings that divide German usage.
Karl in use
Karl peaked in the United States in 1960, when 2,614 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 628th in France on 70 births — its strongest market — then 1053rd in Ireland, 1529th in England and Wales on 18 and 1599th in the United States on 107, across 123,064 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. France ranking a German name highest is not what the origin would predict.
How popular is Karl?
In 2025, Karl was given to 107 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Karl is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Karl
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Karl also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Karl over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Karl in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Aragonese
- Carlos
- Asturian
- Carlos
- Catalan
- Carles
- Czech
- Karel
- Danish
- Carl
- Estonian
- Kalle
- Finnish
- Kalle
- Flemish Dutch
- Charel
- Galician
- Carlos
- German
- Carl
- Lithuanian
- Karolis
- Luxembourgish
- Charel
- Polish
- Karol
- Portuguese
- Carlos
- Russian
- Charles
- Slovak
- Karol
- Slovene
- Karel
- Spanish
- Carlos
- Swedish
- Carl
- Ukrainian
- Karlo
Sibling names for Karl
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Karl — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Karl
What does the name Karl mean?
Free man — the Germanic karl, a free peasant rather than a nobleman.
Is Karl the same as Charles?
Yes. Karl is the German form; Charles came through French.
Did Charlemagne's name become a word for king?
In several Slavic languages — the Polish król, Czech král and Russian korol all descend from it.
Where is Karl most used?
France at 628th, ahead of both English-speaking markets.
How popular is the name Karl?
In 2025, Karl was given to 107 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Karl a girl's or a boy's name?
Karl is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Karl?
Karl has 1 syllable.
When was Karl most popular?
Karl peaked in 1960, when 2,614 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Karl a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Karl currently ranks #628 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.