Carla
Girl name · #1082 in 2025 · Uniqueness 65/100
Carla is currently the #1082 girl name in the United States — 223 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #875, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,072 girls born in 2025 was named Carla.
Babies named Carla per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 135-year story
Carla first appears in the Social Security records in 1890, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1962, when 5,820 girls were named Carla — good for #78 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 Carla against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carla in class?
Carla scores 65 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Carla is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carla is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Carlas were CA (42), TX (29), FL (18), NY (18), CO (9). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Carla
Statistically, parents drawn to Carla tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Darla, Marla, Paula, Karla, and Cynthia.
DarlaMarlaPaulaKarlaCynthiaAnitaTeresaJana
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carla | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 223 | #1082 |
| 2024 | 254 | #1009 |
| 2023 | 267 | #967 |
| 2022 | 291 | #927 |
| 2021 | 221 | #1116 |
| 2020 | 245 | #1023 |
| 2019 | 253 | #1016 |
| 2018 | 255 | #1018 |
| 2017 | 279 | #948 |
| 2016 | 323 | #870 |
| 2015 | 318 | #875 |
| 2014 | 320 | #860 |
| 2013 | 300 | #860 |
| 2012 | 371 | #751 |
| 2011 | 368 | #750 |
| 2010 | 368 | #753 |
| 2009 | 440 | #665 |
| 2008 | 531 | #580 |
| 2007 | 579 | #539 |
| 2006 | 610 | #499 |
| 2005 | 585 | #509 |
| 2004 | 629 | #470 |
| 2003 | 648 | #461 |
| 2002 | 764 | #386 |
| 2001 | 674 | #421 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carla a popular girl name?
Carla ranked #1082 among girls in 2025 with 223 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #875.
When was the name Carla most popular?
Carla peaked in 1962, when 5,820 American girls received the name (ranked #78 that year). Since 1962 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carla?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,072 newborn American girls was named Carla. It scores 65/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.