Carl Boy

Popularity: #752 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: karl //kɑːrl//

Origin: German; Scandinavian; Dutch

Meaning: German: free man; Scandinavian: strong; Dutch: man

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Carl has its roots in the Germanic word "karl," which means "man" or "free man." This term evolved through various linguistic stages, entering Old High German as "karal" and later becoming "Karl" in Middle High German. The name made its way into English via the Old French form "Charles," which itself derived from the Latin "Carolus," a diminutive of "Carolus" that also means "man." The transition into English occurred during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many Norman names, including Charles, became integrated into the English language.

Historically, the name Carl has been borne by several notable figures, most prominently Charlemagne, known in Latin as "Carolus Magnus," who reigned in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. His empire laid the foundations for modern Europe, and his legacy has been influential in both political and cultural spheres.

The name also appears in various forms in royal lineages across Europe, particularly in Germany and Scandinavia, where it has been associated with kings and nobility throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. The name was further popularized by the Protestant Reformation, with figures such as Martin Luther using it in their writings.

Culturally, Carl has been associated with strength and leadership, embodying the qualities of a free man in historical contexts. It has been used in various literary works and has appeared in the names of several saints, contributing to its enduring presence in European culture.

The name has several diminutive forms, such as "Charlie," which have also been historically significant, though the primary form, Carl, has maintained its stature as a classic name throughout the centuries.

Famous people named Carl

In this section, you will find notable people named Carl. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Carl who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Carl who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Carl Sagan is an astronomer and science communicator best known for Cosmos: A Personal Journey, Contact, and The Demon-Haunted World.

Carl Jung is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst best known for founding analytical psychology, developing concepts such as the collective unconscious and archetypes.

Carl Lewis is an athlete best known for his achievements in track and field, including multiple Olympic gold medals and world records.

Carl Reiner is a comedian, actor, and director best known for The Dick Van Dyke Show, Ocean's Eleven, and his work with Mel Brooks.

Carl Orff is a composer best known for his cantata Carmina Burana and his contributions to music education with the Orff Schulwerk approach.

Carl Friedrich Gauss is a mathematician and physicist best known for his contributions to number theory, statistics, and the Gaussian distribution.

Carl Bernstein is a journalist best known for his investigative reporting on the Watergate scandal alongside Bob Woodward.

Fictional characters named Carl

The following list of fictional characters named Carl is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Carl Grimes is a fictional character from the comic book series and TV show The Walking Dead. He is the son of the main protagonist, Rick Grimes, and plays a crucial role in the survival of his group during the zombie apocalypse.

Carl Fredricksen is a fictional character from the animated film Up. He is a widowed balloon salesman who embarks on an adventure to fulfill a promise to his late wife.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Carl, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MarkPaulJohnDavidPeterJames

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Carl. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CharlesCharlieKurtCarltonCarterCyrusCalvinCaleb

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Carl was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Carl has ranked as high as #99 nationally, which occurred in 1956, and has been most popular in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Carl has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Carl is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Carl was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Carl.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 187 187 0
2024 216 216 0
2023 233 233 0
2022 220 220 0
2021 246 246 0
2020 286 286 0
2019 319 319 0
2018 345 345 0
2017 415 415 0
2016 445 445 0
2015 457 457 0
2014 436 436 0
2013 446 446 0
2012 487 487 0
2011 426 426 0
2010 449 449 0
2009 519 519 0
2008 559 559 0
2007 628 628 0
2006 658 658 0
2005 653 653 0
2004 752 752 0
2003 775 775 0
2002 784 784 0
2001 882 882 0
2000 988 988 0
1999 996 996 0
1998 1,147 1,147 0
1997 1,093 1,093 0
1996 1,184 1,184 0
1995 1,380 1,380 0
1994 1,421 1,415 6
1993 1,592 1,585 7
1992 1,793 1,782 11
1991 1,929 1,922 7
1990 2,195 2,189 6
1989 2,274 2,259 15
1988 2,348 2,318 30
1987 2,253 2,223 30
1986 2,479 2,444 35
1985 2,553 2,526 27
1984 2,592 2,567 25
1983 2,639 2,605 34
1982 2,848 2,802 46
1981 2,825 2,793 32
1980 2,970 2,935 35
1979 2,921 2,898 23
1978 2,647 2,606 41
1977 2,654 2,615 39
1976 2,702 2,670 32
1975 2,858 2,810 48
1974 2,930 2,895 35
1973 3,058 3,013 45
1972 3,442 3,406 36
1971 4,092 4,055 37
1970 4,453 4,402 51
1969 4,565 4,522 43
1968 4,684 4,645 39
1967 4,930 4,890 40
1966 5,271 5,227 44
1965 5,829 5,797 32
1964 6,699 6,661 38
1963 7,166 7,128 38
1962 6,888 6,854 34
1961 7,292 7,255 37
1960 7,862 7,808 54
1959 7,538 7,501 37
1958 7,777 7,734 43
1957 8,222 8,192 30
1956 8,345 8,313 32
1955 8,326 8,294 32
1954 8,166 8,137 29
1953 7,853 7,829 24
1952 7,842 7,823 19
1951 7,679 7,641 38
1950 7,316 7,288 28
1949 7,724 7,689 35
1948 7,863 7,829 34
1947 8,082 8,050 32
1946 7,405 7,380 25
1945 6,340 6,314 26
1944 6,855 6,825 30
1943 7,512 7,472 40
1942 7,300 7,268 32
1941 7,191 7,160 31
1940 6,783 6,752 31
1939 6,638 6,593 45
1938 6,881 6,849 32
1937 6,950 6,914 36
1936 6,632 6,591 41
1935 6,719 6,693 26
1934 6,721 6,683 38
1933 6,223 6,188 35
1932 6,760 6,714 46
1931 6,637 6,583 54
1930 7,009 6,951 58
1929 6,945 6,895 50
1928 7,007 6,946 61
1927 7,334 7,277 57
1926 6,986 6,939 47
1925 7,111 7,061 50
1924 7,131 7,085 46
1923 6,920 6,871 49
1922 6,738 6,690 48
1921 7,119 7,077 42
1920 7,055 7,010 45
1919 6,519 6,474 45
1918 7,055 7,004 51
1917 6,745 6,699 46
1916 6,824 6,785 39
1915 6,643 6,613 30
1914 4,840 4,807 33
1913 3,960 3,935 25
1912 3,243 3,224 19
1911 1,587 1,574 13
1910 1,351 1,339 12
1909 1,225 1,215 10
1908 1,083 1,074 9
1907 1,027 1,018 9
1906 957 951 6
1905 970 959 11
1904 960 953 7
1903 916 910 6
1902 961 952 9
1901 826 817 9
1900 1,026 1,016 10
1899 781 774 7
1898 927 919 8
1897 840 828 12
1896 857 852 5
1895 865 851 14
1894 871 861 10
1893 793 786 7
1892 818 808 10
1891 685 675 10
1890 701 693 8
1889 710 704 6
1888 685 675 10
1887 595 588 7
1886 562 556 6
1885 499 494 5
1884 521 521 0
1883 480 480 0
1882 478 478 0
1881 359 359 0
1880 372 372 0

Top States for Carl (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 16
10%
FL 15
9%
PA 13
8%
TX 13
8%
OH 12
7%
NY 9
5%
MI 8
5%
TN 8
5%
MO 7
4%
WA 7
4%
GA 7
4%
WI 7
4%
IL 7
4%
IN 7
4%
MN 7
4%
NC 5
3%
MA 5
3%
MD 5
3%
SC 5
3%
AL 5
3%