Carl
From Germanic, cognate with English Charles.
Every Carl since 1880 — 508,017 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Carl
Carl is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,134 in 2025 with 187 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 508,017 American babies have been named Carl. Its peak came in 1956, when 8,345 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Carl stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Carl year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 187 | #1,134 |
| 2024 | — | — | 216 | #1,032 |
| 2023 | — | — | 233 | #964 |
| 2022 | — | — | 220 | #1,013 |
| 2021 | — | — | 246 | #922 |
| 2020 | — | — | 286 | #813 |
| 2019 | — | — | 319 | #748 |
| 2018 | — | — | 345 | #701 |
| 2017 | — | — | 415 | #628 |
| 2016 | — | — | 445 | #605 |
| 2015 | — | — | 457 | #600 |
| 2014 | — | — | 436 | #613 |
| 2013 | — | — | 446 | #579 |
| 2012 | — | — | 487 | #537 |
| 2011 | — | — | 426 | #589 |
| 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 |
| 2000 | — | — | 988 | #304 |
| 1995 | — | — | 1,380 | #213 |
| 1990 | 6 | #11,627 | 2,189 | #145 |
| 1985 | 27 | #3,260 | 2,526 | #112 |
| 1980 | 35 | #2,658 | 2,935 | #103 |
| 1975 | 48 | #1,881 | 2,810 | #91 |
| 1970 | 51 | #1,760 | 4,402 | #66 |
| 1965 | 32 | #2,067 | 5,797 | #54 |
| 1960 | 54 | #1,502 | 7,808 | #53 |
| 1955 | 32 | #1,884 | 8,294 | #47 |
| 1950 | 28 | #1,794 | 7,288 | #44 |
| 1945 | 26 | #1,625 | 6,314 | #39 |
| 1940 | 31 | #1,354 | 6,752 | #32 |
| 1935 | 26 | #1,453 | 6,693 | #28 |
| 1930 | 58 | #959 | 6,951 | #26 |
| 1925 | 50 | #1,075 | 7,061 | #28 |
| 1920 | 45 | #1,122 | 7,010 | #27 |
| 1915 | 30 | #1,290 | 6,613 | #22 |
| 1910 | 12 | #1,345 | 1,339 | #26 |
| 1905 | 11 | #1,171 | 959 | #26 |
| 1900 | 10 | #1,237 | 1,016 | #29 |
| 1895 | 14 | #866 | 851 | #22 |
| 1890 | 8 | #1,017 | 693 | #27 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,066 | 494 | #34 |
| 1880 | — | — | 372 | #42 |
Famous people named Carl
- Carl Linnaeus Biologist · 1707–1778
- Carl Friedrich Gauss Mathematician · 1777–1855
- Carl Jung Psychologist · 1875–1961
- Carl Maria von Weber Composer · 1786–1826
- Carl von Clausewitz Philosopher · 1780–1831
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Carl mean?
From Germanic, cognate with English Charles.
How popular is the name Carl in 2025?
Carl ranked #1,134 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 187 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Carl?
508,017 babies have been named Carl in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Carl most popular?
Carl peaked in 1956, when 8,345 newborns received the name.
Is Carl a boy or girl name?
Carl is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Carl rising or falling?
Carl is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Carl?
Well-known people named Carl include Carl Linnaeus (biologist), Carl Friedrich Gauss (mathematician), Carl Jung (psychologist).