Carl
Last seen for girls in 1994 at #11,778 · #1,132 for boys in 2025, 187 births
Given to boys 99.4% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1915 · 6,613 births
- Debut · boys
- 372 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 100 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 504,827since 1880
Carl over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,132 | 187 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,031 | 216 | |
| 2023 | — | #964 | 233 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,012 | 220 | |
| 2021 | — | #922 | 246 | |
| 2020 | — | #812 | 286 | |
| 2019 | — | #748 | 319 | |
| 2018 | — | #701 | 345 | |
| 2017 | — | #628 | 415 | |
| 2016 | — | #605 | 445 | |
| 2015 | — | #599 | 457 | |
| 2014 | — | #612 | 436 | |
| 2013 | — | #578 | 446 | |
| 2012 | — | #536 | 487 | |
| 2011 | — | #588 | 426 | |
| 2010 | — | #563 | 449 | |
| 2009 | — | #521 | 519 | |
| 2008 | — | #491 | 559 | |
| 2007 | — | #445 | 628 | |
| 2006 | — | #427 | 658 | |
| 2005 | — | #415 | 653 | |
| 2004 | — | #369 | 752 | |
| 2003 | — | #354 | 775 | |
| 2002 | — | #349 | 784 | |
| 2001 | — | #318 | 882 | |
| 2000 | — | #304 | 988 | |
| 1999 | — | #290 | 996 | |
| 1998 | — | #260 | 1,147 | |
| 1997 | — | #260 | 1,093 | |
| 1996 | — | #250 | 1,184 | |
| 1995 | — | #213 | 1,380 | |
| 1994 | #11,778 | 6 | #204 | 1,415 |
| 1993 | #10,588 | 7 | #193 | 1,585 |
| 1992 | #7,512 | 11 | #181 | 1,782 |
| 1991 | #10,271 | 7 | #168 | 1,922 |
| 1990 | #11,409 | 6 | #145 | 2,189 |
| 1989 | #5,545 | 15 | #135 | 2,259 |
| 1988 | #3,225 | 30 | #126 | 2,318 |
| 1987 | #3,101 | 30 | #126 | 2,223 |
| 1986 | #2,724 | 35 | #114 | 2,444 |
| 1985 | #3,246 | 27 | #112 | 2,526 |
| 1984 | #3,329 | 25 | #108 | 2,567 |
| 1983 | #2,595 | 34 | #106 | 2,605 |
| 1982 | #2,185 | 46 | #104 | 2,802 |
| 1981 | #2,774 | 32 | #106 | 2,793 |
| 1980 | #2,651 | 35 | #103 | 2,935 |
| 1979 | #3,442 | 23 | #100 | 2,898 |
| 1978 | #2,237 | 41 | #100 | 2,606 |
| 1977 | #2,307 | 39 | #99 | 2,615 |
| 1976 | #2,486 | 32 | #95 | 2,670 |
| 1975 | #1,877 | 48 | #91 | 2,810 |
| 1974 | #2,254 | 35 | #89 | 2,895 |
| 1973 | #1,857 | 45 | #90 | 3,013 |
| 1972 | #2,135 | 36 | #85 | 3,406 |
| 1971 | #2,175 | 37 | #72 | 4,055 |
| 1970 | #1,755 | 51 | #66 | 4,402 |
| 1969 | #1,897 | 43 | #62 | 4,522 |
| 1968 | #1,909 | 39 | #59 | 4,645 |
| 1967 | #1,848 | 40 | #57 | 4,890 |
| 1966 | #1,700 | 44 | #56 | 5,227 |
| 1965 | #2,064 | 32 | #54 | 5,797 |
| 1964 | #1,918 | 38 | #55 | 6,661 |
| 1963 | #1,894 | 38 | #54 | 7,128 |
| 1962 | #1,989 | 34 | #58 | 6,854 |
| 1961 | #1,893 | 37 | #56 | 7,255 |
| 1960 | #1,501 | 54 | #53 | 7,808 |
| 1959 | #1,820 | 37 | #54 | 7,501 |
| 1958 | #1,630 | 43 | #51 | 7,734 |
| 1957 | #1,989 | 30 | #49 | 8,192 |
| 1956 | #1,897 | 32 | #48 | 8,313 |
| 1955 | #1,877 | 32 | #47 | 8,294 |
| 1954 | #1,949 | 29 | #47 | 8,137 |
| 1953 | #2,122 | 24 | #44 | 7,829 |
| 1952 | #2,411 | 19 | #45 | 7,823 |
| 1951 | #1,528 | 38 | #43 | 7,641 |
| 1950 | #1,794 | 28 | #44 | 7,288 |
| 1949 | #1,564 | 35 | #43 | 7,689 |
| 1948 | #1,598 | 34 | #42 | 7,829 |
| 1947 | #1,697 | 32 | #40 | 8,050 |
| 1946 | #1,808 | 25 | #39 | 7,380 |
| 1945 | #1,621 | 26 | #39 | 6,314 |
| 1944 | #1,486 | 30 | #36 | 6,825 |
| 1943 | #1,291 | 40 | #33 | 7,472 |
| 1942 | #1,438 | 32 | #36 | 7,268 |
| 1941 | #1,384 | 31 | #29 | 7,160 |
| 1940 | #1,347 | 31 | #32 | 6,752 |
| 1939 | #1,066 | 45 | #30 | 6,593 |
| 1938 | #1,288 | 32 | #29 | 6,849 |
| 1937 | #1,196 | 36 | #28 | 6,914 |
| 1936 | #1,096 | 41 | #27 | 6,591 |
| 1935 | #1,449 | 26 | #28 | 6,693 |
| 1934 | #1,148 | 38 | #28 | 6,683 |
| 1933 | #1,197 | 35 | #28 | 6,188 |
| 1932 | #1,043 | 46 | #28 | 6,714 |
| 1931 | #941 | 54 | #28 | 6,583 |
| 1930 | #956 | 58 | #26 | 6,951 |
| 1929 | #1,032 | 50 | #28 | 6,895 |
| 1928 | #954 | 61 | #28 | 6,946 |
| 1927 | #1,010 | 57 | #26 | 7,277 |
| 1926 | #1,096 | 47 | #26 | 6,939 |
| 1925 | #1,074 | 50 | #28 | 7,061 |
| 1924 | #1,151 | 46 | #27 | 7,085 |
| 1923 | #1,084 | 49 | #28 | 6,871 |
| 1922 | #1,103 | 48 | #30 | 6,690 |
| 1921 | #1,184 | 42 | #30 | 7,077 |
| 1920 | #1,119 | 45 | #27 | 7,010 |
| 1919 | #1,090 | 45 | #29 | 6,474 |
| 1918 | #1,005 | 51 | #25 | 7,004 |
| 1917 | #1,040 | 46 | #24 | 6,699 |
| 1916 | #1,127 | 39 | #23 | 6,785 |
| 1915 | #1,285 | 30 | #22 | 6,613 |
| 1914 | #1,034 | 33 | #24 | 4,807 |
| 1913 | #1,091 | 25 | #23 | 3,935 |
| 1912 | #1,218 | 19 | #24 | 3,224 |
| 1911 | #1,300 | 13 | #26 | 1,574 |
| 1910 | #1,335 | 12 | #26 | 1,339 |
| 1909 | #1,369 | 10 | #25 | 1,215 |
| 1908 | #1,439 | 9 | #29 | 1,074 |
| 1907 | #1,384 | 9 | #27 | 1,018 |
| 1906 | #1,727 | 6 | #27 | 951 |
| 1905 | #1,162 | 11 | #26 | 959 |
| 1904 | #1,486 | 7 | #25 | 953 |
| 1903 | #1,592 | 6 | #23 | 910 |
| 1902 | #1,219 | 9 | #24 | 952 |
| 1901 | #1,136 | 9 | #24 | 817 |
| 1900 | #1,231 | 10 | #29 | 1,016 |
| 1899 | #1,278 | 7 | #25 | 774 |
| 1898 | #1,263 | 8 | #24 | 919 |
| 1897 | #931 | 12 | #25 | 828 |
| 1896 | #1,583 | 5 | #25 | 852 |
| 1895 | #858 | 14 | #22 | 851 |
| 1894 | #998 | 10 | #22 | 861 |
| 1893 | #1,175 | 7 | #24 | 786 |
| 1892 | #958 | 10 | #25 | 808 |
| 1891 | #893 | 10 | #24 | 675 |
| 1890 | #1,006 | 8 | #27 | 693 |
| 1889 | #1,147 | 6 | #27 | 704 |
| 1888 | #837 | 10 | #29 | 675 |
| 1887 | #937 | 7 | #28 | 588 |
| 1886 | #993 | 6 | #32 | 556 |
| 1885 | #1,047 | 5 | #34 | 494 |
| 1884 | — | #36 | 521 | |
| 1883 | — | #32 | 480 | |
| 1882 | — | #34 | 478 | |
| 1881 | — | #41 | 359 | |
| 1880 | — | #42 | 372 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Carl was already there! It came in at #42, and was given to 372 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 2021–2025, when fewer than 250 boys a year got the name.
Where Carl is popular in 1981
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Delaware#61 · 1 in 292
- West Virginia#74 · 1 in 392
- District of Columbia#80 · 1 in 379
- Maryland#81 · 1 in 465
- Michigan#81 · 1 in 469
Best ever in a state: #5 in Alaska, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | #61 | 13 | 1 in 292 |
| West Virginia | #74 | 33 | 1 in 392 |
| District of Columbia | #80 | 21 | 1 in 379 |
| Maryland | #81 | 52 | 1 in 465 |
| Michigan | #81 | 140 | 1 in 469 |
| Alaska | #82 | 11 | 1 in 365 |
| Missouri | #83 | 83 | 1 in 441 |
| Ohio | #84 | 155 | 1 in 520 |
| Pennsylvania | #84 | 143 | 1 in 541 |
| Illinois | #85 | 169 | 1 in 501 |
| New Jersey | #86 | 72 | 1 in 590 |
| North Dakota | #89 | 14 | 1 in 420 |
| Virginia | #89 | 64 | 1 in 540 |
| Kentucky | #91 | 49 | 1 in 552 |
| Louisiana | #91 | 82 | 1 in 447 |
| Nevada | #94 | 11 | 1 in 515 |
| North Carolina | #94 | 72 | 1 in 525 |
| Tennessee | #95 | 60 | 1 in 540 |
| Connecticut | #96 | 28 | 1 in 637 |
| Indiana | #98 | 72 | 1 in 557 |
| Minnesota | #98 | 50 | 1 in 657 |
| Oklahoma | #98 | 46 | 1 in 512 |
| Oregon | #98 | 39 | 1 in 515 |
| Florida | #99 | 109 | 1 in 578 |
| Georgia | #99 | 73 | 1 in 552 |
| New Mexico | #101 | 26 | 1 in 429 |
| Massachusetts | #102 | 46 | 1 in 777 |
| South Carolina | #102 | 42 | 1 in 503 |
| Alabama | #103 | 48 | 1 in 548 |
| Arkansas | #104 | 30 | 1 in 509 |
| Maine | #106 | 12 | 1 in 586 |
| Washington | #106 | 51 | 1 in 623 |
| Iowa | #108 | 31 | 1 in 704 |
| New York | #108 | 167 | 1 in 680 |
| New Hampshire | #109 | 7 | 1 in 878 |
| Wisconsin | #109 | 42 | 1 in 825 |
| Nebraska | #110 | 18 | 1 in 686 |
| Montana | #111 | 10 | 1 in 581 |
| Kansas | #112 | 30 | 1 in 606 |
| Utah | #118 | 29 | 1 in 656 |
| Mississippi | #119 | 33 | 1 in 583 |
| Idaho | #127 | 12 | 1 in 681 |
| South Dakota | #139 | 7 | 1 in 775 |
| Texas | #139 | 199 | 1 in 692 |
| Arizona | #144 | 32 | 1 in 724 |
| Hawaii | #148 | 10 | 1 in 682 |
| Colorado | #153 | 24 | 1 in 993 |
| California | #169 | 215 | 1 in 934 |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Carl
- 101 spots since 2024 (#1,031 → #1,132)
- 320 spots since 2020 (#812 → #1,132)
- 533 spots since 2015 (#599 → #1,132)
- Biggest jump: 52 spots in 2012 (#588 → #536)
- Biggest drop: 110 spots in 2021 (#812 → #922)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1915 at #22 (6,613 births)
- Births halved by 1973, 58 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 100 yrs · run 1880–1979
- Top 1,000: 143 yrs · run 1880–2021
- Highest: 1 in 128 boys born in 1915 were named Carl (0.78%)
- Latest: 1 in 9,134 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- 15.6% of all boys named Carl (78,752) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,227 | #27 (1889) | #34 |
| 1890s | 8,047 | #22 (1894) | #24 |
| 1900s | 9,865 | #23 (1903) | #26 |
| 1910s | 48,454 | #22 (1915) | #25 |
| 1920s | 69,851 | #26 (1927) | #28 |
| 1930s | 66,759 | #26 (1930) | #28 |
| 1940s | 72,739 | #29 (1941) | #37 |
| 1950s | 78,752 | #43 (1951) | #47 |
| 1960s | 60,787 | #53 (1960) | #56 |
| 1970s | 31,370 | #66 (1970) | #89 |
| 1980s | 25,472 | #103 (1980) | #114 |
| 1990s | 14,693 | #145 (1990) | #216 |
| 2000s | 7,198 | #304 (2000) | #399 |
| 2010s | 4,225 | #536 (2012) | #616 |
| 2020s | 1,388 | #812 (2020) | #979 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Carl in 1981
Top girls' names in 1981
Top boys' names in 1981
More about 1981
girls
1,668,060 girls got a published name in 1981; 1 in 52,127 of them was named Carl, which outranked 77.3% of the 12,198 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #2,723Tamyra33
- #2,723Tandy33
- #2,723Thomasina33
- #2,774Carl32
- #2,774Adelita32
- #2,774Alex32
- #2,774Angelene32
- #2,847Aleesha31
- #2,847Alica31
- #2,847Allisha31
Tied with 72 names at #2,774; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,791,177 boys got a published name in 1981; 1 in 641 of them was named Carl, which outranked 98.5% of the 7,289 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.