Carl
Boy name · #1132 in 2025 · Very rare
Carl is currently the #1132 boy name in the United States — 187 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #599, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,626 boys born in 2025 was named Carl.
Babies named Carl per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Carl first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 372 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1956, when 8,313 boys were named Carl — good for #48 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carl against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carl in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Carl is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Carl will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Carl is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carl is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Carl is most common in KS (0.7 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Carl is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Carl
Statistically, parents drawn to Carl tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Karl, Daryl, Neil, Neal, and Randy.
KarlDarylNeilNealRandyCraigCurtisTerry
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carl | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 187 | #1132 |
| 2024 | 216 | #1031 |
| 2023 | 233 | #964 |
| 2022 | 220 | #1012 |
| 2021 | 246 | #922 |
| 2020 | 286 | #812 |
| 2019 | 319 | #748 |
| 2018 | 345 | #701 |
| 2017 | 415 | #628 |
| 2016 | 445 | #605 |
| 2015 | 457 | #599 |
| 2014 | 436 | #612 |
| 2013 | 446 | #578 |
| 2012 | 487 | #536 |
| 2011 | 426 | #588 |
| 2010 | 449 | #563 |
| 2009 | 519 | #521 |
| 2008 | 559 | #491 |
| 2007 | 628 | #445 |
| 2006 | 658 | #427 |
| 2005 | 653 | #415 |
| 2004 | 752 | #369 |
| 2003 | 775 | #354 |
| 2002 | 784 | #349 |
| 2001 | 882 | #318 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carl a popular boy name?
Carl ranked #1132 among boys in 2025 with 187 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #599.
When was the name Carl most popular?
Carl peaked in 1956, when 8,313 American boys received the name (ranked #48 that year). Since 1956 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carl?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,626 newborn American boys was named Carl. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.