Karl
Boy name · #1586 in 2025 · Very rare
Karl is currently the #1586 boy name in the United States — 107 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1075, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,822 boys born in 2025 was named Karl.
Babies named Karl per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Karl first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 21 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 2,594 boys were named Karl — good for #135 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 Karl against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Karl in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Karl is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Karl will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Karl is most common
State-level data for Karl is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Karl
Statistically, parents drawn to Karl tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carl, Kent, Neal, Daryl, and Kurt.
CarlKentNealDarylKurtRandallKerryKirk
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Karl | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 107 | #1585 |
| 2024 | 99 | #1685 |
| 2023 | 101 | #1681 |
| 2022 | 128 | #1425 |
| 2021 | 115 | #1529 |
| 2020 | 104 | #1568 |
| 2019 | 145 | #1283 |
| 2018 | 143 | #1282 |
| 2017 | 141 | #1287 |
| 2016 | 167 | #1149 |
| 2015 | 184 | #1075 |
| 2014 | 165 | #1147 |
| 2013 | 169 | #1096 |
| 2012 | 161 | #1135 |
| 2011 | 173 | #1078 |
| 2010 | 177 | #1086 |
| 2009 | 207 | #966 |
| 2008 | 188 | #1019 |
| 2007 | 242 | #859 |
| 2006 | 270 | #769 |
| 2005 | 265 | #752 |
| 2004 | 281 | #695 |
| 2003 | 300 | #658 |
| 2002 | 330 | #608 |
| 2001 | 351 | #580 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Karl a popular boy name?
Karl ranked #1586 among boys in 2025 with 107 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1075.
When was the name Karl most popular?
Karl peaked in 1960, when 2,594 American boys received the name (ranked #135 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Karl?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,822 newborn American boys was named Karl. 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.