The first name Carl
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /kɑːl/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From Germanic, cognate with English Charles. * From German and other north European Carl and Karl. * From Latin Carolus.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 14 boys were named Carl, making it the 1,798th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 387 births (#116).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carl with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carl at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 187 boys born in the United States were named Carl, the 1,134th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1956, when 8,313 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Carl in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Carl
606 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carl Friedrich GaussGerman mathematician and physicist (1777–1855)
- Carl SaganAmerican astrophysicist, cosmologist and author (1934–1996)
- Carl ReinerAmerican actor, 1922–2020
- Carl Gustaf Emil MannerheimFinnish military leader and statesman (1867–1951)
- Carl SandburgAmerican writer and editor (1878–1967)
- Carl David AndersonAmerican physicist, 1905–1991
- Carl RogersAmerican psychologist (1902–1987)
- Carl BoschGerman chemical engineer (1874–1940)
- Carl Philipp Emanuel BachGerman composer (1714–1788)
- Carl Gustav Jacob JacobiGerman mathematician (1804–1851)
- Carl von OssietzkyGerman journalist, author, pacifist and recipient of the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize (1889–1938
- Carl SchmittGerman jurist, political theorist and professor of law (1888–1985)
Questions
- What does the name Carl mean?
- From Germanic, cognate with English Charles. * From German and other north European Carl and Karl. * From Latin Carolus.
- How popular is the name Carl?
- In 2025, 14 boys born in England and Wales were named Carl, ranking 1,798th. Its peak was 1996, with 387 births.
- Is Carl a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 508,017 US babies named Carl since 1880 were boys.
- When was Carl most popular?
- 1956 in the United States, when 8,313 babies were named Carl, its highest rank at 48th.
- How do you pronounce Carl?
- Carl is /kɑːl/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Carl?
- Karl.
- Is Carl also a surname?
- Yes. Carl is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.