Karl
- Last seen for girls in 1993 at #8,719
- #1,585 for boys in 2025, 107 births
- Given to boys 99.1% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1960 · 2,594 births
- Debut · boys
- 21 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 100,836since 1880
Karl over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Karl has never cracked the top 100 here.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
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 | — | #1,585 | 107 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,685 | 99 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,681 | 101 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,425 | 128 | |
| 2021 | — | #1,529 | 115 | |
| 2020 | — | #1,568 | 104 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,283 | 145 | |
| 2018 | — | #1,282 | 143 | |
| 2017 | — | #1,287 | 141 | |
| 2016 | — | #1,149 | 167 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,075 | 184 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,147 | 165 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,096 | 169 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,135 | 161 | |
| 2011 | — | #1,078 | 173 | |
| 2010 | — | #1,086 | 177 | |
| 2009 | — | #966 | 207 | |
| 2008 | — | #1,019 | 188 | |
| 2007 | — | #859 | 242 | |
| 2006 | — | #769 | 270 | |
| 2005 | — | #752 | 265 | |
| 2004 | — | #695 | 281 | |
| 2003 | — | #658 | 300 | |
| 2002 | — | #608 | 330 | |
| 2001 | — | #580 | 351 | |
| 2000 | — | #564 | 366 | |
| 1999 | — | #534 | 390 | |
| 1998 | — | #481 | 455 | |
| 1997 | — | #459 | 483 | |
| 1996 | — | #446 | 504 | |
| 1995 | — | #391 | 598 | |
| 1994 | — | #381 | 612 | |
| 1993 | #8,719 | 9 | #357 | 662 |
| 1992 | — | #336 | 738 | |
| 1991 | #11,509 | 6 | #317 | 811 |
| 1990 | #11,409 | 6 | #295 | 858 |
| 1989 | #5,836 | 14 | #273 | 908 |
| 1988 | #3,893 | 23 | #274 | 843 |
| 1987 | #3,743 | 23 | #260 | 853 |
| 1986 | #3,135 | 29 | #248 | 904 |
| 1985 | #2,939 | 31 | #242 | 961 |
| 1984 | #3,423 | 24 | #244 | 896 |
| 1983 | #2,910 | 29 | #242 | 911 |
| 1982 | #3,172 | 27 | #240 | 973 |
| 1981 | #3,147 | 27 | #226 | 1,062 |
| 1980 | #3,411 | 24 | #225 | 1,060 |
| 1979 | #3,668 | 21 | #234 | 956 |
| 1978 | #3,388 | 22 | #232 | 900 |
| 1977 | #3,083 | 25 | #230 | 941 |
| 1976 | #2,865 | 26 | #234 | 868 |
| 1975 | #2,881 | 25 | #226 | 904 |
| 1974 | #2,757 | 26 | #214 | 1,004 |
| 1973 | #2,349 | 32 | #220 | 985 |
| 1972 | #2,680 | 26 | #199 | 1,167 |
| 1971 | #2,955 | 23 | #191 | 1,323 |
| 1970 | #2,938 | 23 | #177 | 1,575 |
| 1969 | #2,058 | 37 | #180 | 1,565 |
| 1968 | #2,708 | 22 | #168 | 1,598 |
| 1967 | #2,212 | 29 | #159 | 1,695 |
| 1966 | #2,839 | 19 | #158 | 1,792 |
| 1965 | #2,833 | 19 | #154 | 2,019 |
| 1964 | #3,000 | 18 | #135 | 2,403 |
| 1963 | #2,543 | 23 | #136 | 2,513 |
| 1962 | #2,668 | 21 | #142 | 2,457 |
| 1961 | #3,060 | 17 | #138 | 2,543 |
| 1960 | #2,729 | 20 | #135 | 2,594 |
| 1959 | #2,678 | 19 | #148 | 2,354 |
| 1958 | #3,232 | 14 | #146 | 2,348 |
| 1957 | #5,377 | 6 | #146 | 2,338 |
| 1956 | #3,186 | 14 | #150 | 2,060 |
| 1955 | #4,740 | 7 | #149 | 1,935 |
| 1954 | — | #166 | 1,736 | |
| 1953 | — | #163 | 1,653 | |
| 1952 | — | #170 | 1,564 | |
| 1951 | #4,385 | 7 | #175 | 1,439 |
| 1950 | — | #172 | 1,304 | |
| 1949 | — | #172 | 1,321 | |
| 1948 | — | #179 | 1,187 | |
| 1947 | #4,764 | 6 | #184 | 1,119 |
| 1946 | — | #185 | 998 | |
| 1945 | — | #196 | 758 | |
| 1944 | — | #186 | 837 | |
| 1943 | #4,691 | 5 | #182 | 907 |
| 1942 | #4,622 | 5 | #179 | 878 |
| 1941 | — | #177 | 864 | |
| 1940 | — | #174 | 855 | |
| 1939 | — | #171 | 866 | |
| 1938 | — | #162 | 985 | |
| 1937 | — | #162 | 907 | |
| 1936 | #4,181 | 5 | #165 | 830 |
| 1935 | — | #171 | 812 | |
| 1934 | #3,802 | 6 | #186 | 689 |
| 1933 | #4,218 | 5 | #181 | 681 |
| 1932 | — | #193 | 670 | |
| 1931 | #3,497 | 7 | #204 | 635 |
| 1930 | #3,658 | 7 | #206 | 648 |
| 1929 | #3,682 | 7 | #207 | 637 |
| 1928 | #3,436 | 8 | #219 | 599 |
| 1927 | #3,561 | 8 | #211 | 630 |
| 1926 | — | #226 | 595 | |
| 1925 | #4,028 | 7 | #225 | 589 |
| 1924 | #5,061 | 5 | #232 | 584 |
| 1923 | — | #235 | 565 | |
| 1922 | — | #246 | 527 | |
| 1921 | — | #233 | 573 | |
| 1920 | — | #245 | 502 | |
| 1919 | #3,817 | 7 | #234 | 515 |
| 1918 | — | #209 | 600 | |
| 1917 | — | #180 | 673 | |
| 1916 | #3,258 | 8 | #176 | 685 |
| 1915 | #3,795 | 6 | #160 | 715 |
| 1914 | — | #161 | 548 | |
| 1913 | — | #177 | 387 | |
| 1912 | — | #182 | 323 | |
| 1911 | — | #194 | 156 | |
| 1910 | — | #252 | 92 | |
| 1909 | — | #207 | 102 | |
| 1908 | — | #209 | 97 | |
| 1907 | — | #213 | 89 | |
| 1906 | — | #169 | 108 | |
| 1905 | — | #241 | 65 | |
| 1904 | — | #230 | 67 | |
| 1903 | — | #212 | 70 | |
| 1902 | — | #223 | 65 | |
| 1901 | — | #235 | 54 | |
| 1900 | — | #230 | 75 | |
| 1899 | — | #238 | 49 | |
| 1898 | — | #239 | 53 | |
| 1897 | — | #232 | 57 | |
| 1896 | — | #234 | 60 | |
| 1895 | — | #211 | 67 | |
| 1894 | — | #199 | 73 | |
| 1893 | — | #215 | 63 | |
| 1892 | — | #228 | 59 | |
| 1891 | — | #202 | 61 | |
| 1890 | — | #246 | 47 | |
| 1889 | — | #229 | 50 | |
| 1888 | — | #206 | 71 | |
| 1887 | — | #224 | 49 | |
| 1886 | — | #248 | 48 | |
| 1885 | — | #248 | 44 | |
| 1884 | — | #296 | 34 | |
| 1883 | — | #284 | 33 | |
| 1882 | — | #272 | 40 | |
| 1881 | — | #296 | 29 | |
| 1880 | — | #373 | 21 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Karl was already there! It came in at #373, and was given to 21 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1881, when fewer than 30 boys a year got the name.
Where Karl is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- New Jersey#655 · 1 in 3,977
- Pennsylvania#1,004 · 1 in 7,466
- Illinois#1,133 · 1 in 8,259
- New York#1,297 · 1 in 10,553
- Georgia#1,350 · 1 in 10,044
Best ever in a state: #56 in Utah, 1941.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | #655 | 10 | 1 in 3,977 |
| Pennsylvania | #1,004 | 7 | 1 in 7,466 |
| Illinois | #1,133 | 6 | 1 in 8,259 |
| New York | #1,297 | 8 | 1 in 10,553 |
| Georgia | #1,350 | 5 | 1 in 10,044 |
| Florida | #1,478 | 7 | 1 in 13,648 |
| Texas | #2,285 | 6 | 1 in 29,175 |
| California | #2,471 | 5 | 1 in 35,095 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
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| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
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| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| 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 Karl
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 100 spots since 2024 (#1,685 → #1,585)
- 17 spots since 2020 (#1,568 → #1,585)
- Biggest jump: 77 spots in 1881
- Biggest drop: 160 spots in 2008
Rise & fade · boys
80 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1960 at #135 (2,594 births)
- Births halved by 1972, 12 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 129 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 129 yrs · run 1880–2007
Share of babies · boys
1 in 808
- Highest: 1 in 808 boys born in 1963 were named Karl (0.12%)
- Latest: 1 in 15,963 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #135 in 1960, was only 1 in 822 (0.12%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1960s
- 21.0% of all boys named Karl (21,179) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 419 | #206 (1888) | #268 |
| 1890s | 589 | #199 (1894) | #224 |
| 1900s | 792 | #169 (1906) | #217 |
| 1910s | 4,694 | #160 (1915) | #193 |
| 1920s | 5,801 | #207 (1929) | #228 |
| 1930s | 7,723 | #162 (1938) | #180 |
| 1940s | 9,724 | #172 (1949) | #181 |
| 1950s | 18,731 | #146 (1958) | #159 |
| 1960s | 21,179 | #135 (1960) | #151 |
| 1970s | 10,623 | #177 (1970) | #216 |
| 1980s | 9,371 | #225 (1980) | #247 |
| 1990s | 6,111 | #295 (1990) | #400 |
| 2000s | 2,800 | #564 (2000) | #747 |
| 2010s | 1,625 | #1,075 (2015) | #1,162 |
| 2020s | 654 | #1,425 (2022) | #1,579 |
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.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Karl ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: