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At a Glance: Name: Karl – Meaning: free man – Origin: Germanic – Gender: used for both boys and girls
Karl is a Germanic name meaning "free man." It's a short, sturdy name with a long documented history in U.S. birth records, tracing back through Social Security Administration data all the way to 1880.
Meaning & Origin of Karl
Meaning: Free man.
Origin: Germanic.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
Popularity of Karl
Karl peaked at #135 in 1960, when 2,594 boys were given the name — but by 2024 it had fallen to #1688, with just 99 babies named Karl that year.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Karl Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Karl, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Karl mean?
Free man. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Karl)
Is Karl a popular name right now?
Karl peaked at #135 in 1960 and is ranked #1688 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Karl? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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