Karl

Karl - A very unique male name

Karl appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #290. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Karl and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Karl? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Karl. The baby boy name Karl was given to 54 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1655 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 27,153 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Karl peaked in popularity 66 years ago in 1960 on position 135.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Karl, 1-5?

Karl is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Karl is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #676 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,636.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Karl is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Karl origin and meaning

German form of Charles

Man; free man — from Germanic karl, the root of Charles

Karl is the German and Scandinavian form of Charles, from the Germanic word for a free man. It was a substantial American name in the German-immigration era, peaking in 1960, and has been in slow decline since.

Attested etymology

Karl is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Karl, pop culture references for the name Karl and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Karl

We've found the following names that sound similar to Karl, sorted by popularity.

Karol / Karlo / Kirill / Karla / Kyrell / Karel / Kasriel / Kiril /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Karl

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Karl a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Karl?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

KARL · /kɑːrl/

Around the world

• Karel (Czech / Dutch) — The Czech and Dutch form of Charles.
• Karol (Polish) — The Polish form of Charles.

Spellings and nicknames

• Carl — The Anglicised spelling; a separate established name.

Famous bearers

• Karl Marx — Philosopher and author of The Communist Manifesto (1818–1883) Historical
• Karl Benz — Engineer who built the first practical automobile (1844–1929) Historical
• Karl Lagerfeld — Fashion designer, creative director of Chanel (1933–2019) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternationalRoyal

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Karl for German or Scandinavian heritage and a blunt, unfashionable strength that now feels distinctive.

Worth knowing

• It reads as an older man's name to most Americans, and Karl Marx is the reflexive first association.