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
Show data for
Peak · boys
1960 · 2,594 births
Debut · boys
21 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
100,836
since 1880

Karl over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Karl has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201958peak #135, 1960boys
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
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1,585107
2024—#1,68599
2023—#1,681101
2022—#1,425128
2021—#1,529115
2020—#1,568104
2019—#1,283145
2018—#1,282143
2017—#1,287141
2016—#1,149167
2015—#1,075184
2014—#1,147165
2013—#1,096169
2012—#1,135161
2011—#1,078173
2010—#1,086177
2009—#966207
2008—#1,019188
2007—#859242
2006—#769270
2005—#752265
2004—#695281
2003—#658300
2002—#608330
2001—#580351
2000—#564366
1999—#534390
1998—#481455
1997—#459483
1996—#446504
1995—#391598
1994—#381612
1993#8,7199#357662
1992—#336738
1991#11,5096#317811
1990#11,4096#295858
1989#5,83614#273908
1988#3,89323#274843
1987#3,74323#260853
1986#3,13529#248904
1985#2,93931#242961
1984#3,42324#244896
1983#2,91029#242911
1982#3,17227#240973
1981#3,14727#2261,062
1980#3,41124#2251,060
1979#3,66821#234956
1978#3,38822#232900
1977#3,08325#230941
1976#2,86526#234868
1975#2,88125#226904
1974#2,75726#2141,004
1973#2,34932#220985
1972#2,68026#1991,167
1971#2,95523#1911,323
1970#2,93823#1771,575
1969#2,05837#1801,565
1968#2,70822#1681,598
1967#2,21229#1591,695
1966#2,83919#1581,792
1965#2,83319#1542,019
1964#3,00018#1352,403
1963#2,54323#1362,513
1962#2,66821#1422,457
1961#3,06017#1382,543
1960#2,72920#1352,594
1959#2,67819#1482,354
1958#3,23214#1462,348
1957#5,3776#1462,338
1956#3,18614#1502,060
1955#4,7407#1491,935
1954—#1661,736
1953—#1631,653
1952—#1701,564
1951#4,3857#1751,439
1950—#1721,304
1949—#1721,321
1948—#1791,187
1947#4,7646#1841,119
1946—#185998
1945—#196758
1944—#186837
1943#4,6915#182907
1942#4,6225#179878
1941—#177864
1940—#174855
1939—#171866
1938—#162985
1937—#162907
1936#4,1815#165830
1935—#171812
1934#3,8026#186689
1933#4,2185#181681
1932—#193670
1931#3,4977#204635
1930#3,6587#206648
1929#3,6827#207637
1928#3,4368#219599
1927#3,5618#211630
1926—#226595
1925#4,0287#225589
1924#5,0615#232584
1923—#235565
1922—#246527
1921—#233573
1920—#245502
1919#3,8177#234515
1918—#209600
1917—#180673
1916#3,2588#176685
1915#3,7956#160715
1914—#161548
1913—#177387
1912—#182323
1911—#194156
1910—#25292
1909—#207102
1908—#20997
1907—#21389
1906—#169108
1905—#24165
1904—#23067
1903—#21270
1902—#22365
1901—#23554
1900—#23075
1899—#23849
1898—#23953
1897—#23257
1896—#23460
1895—#21167
1894—#19973
1893—#21563
1892—#22859
1891—#20261
1890—#24647
1889—#22950
1888—#20671
1887—#22449
1886—#24848
1885—#24844
1884—#29634
1883—#28433
1882—#27240
1881—#29629
1880—#37321
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 1958

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #76 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 315 boysAKMaine: #156 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,194 boysMEVermont: #126 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 795 boysVTNew Hampshire: #115 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 778 boysNHWashington: #106 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 517 boysWAIdaho: #92 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 368 boysIDMontana: #146 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 767 boysMTNorth Dakota: #185 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,239 boysNDMinnesota: #138 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 1,049 boysMNIllinois: #129 for boys · 144 births · 1 in 791 boysILWisconsin: #95 for boys · 78 births · 1 in 598 boysWIMichigan: #109 for boys · 161 births · 1 in 613 boysMINew York: #121 for boys · 216 births · 1 in 837 boysNYMassachusetts: #99 for boys · 66 births · 1 in 868 boysMARhode Island: #107 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 987 boysRIOregon: #149 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 887 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #184 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,291 boysSDIowa: #134 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 922 boysIAIndiana: #149 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 1,014 boysINOhio: #131 for boys · 139 births · 1 in 823 boysOHPennsylvania: #115 for boys · 153 births · 1 in 806 boysPANew Jersey: #105 for boys · 84 births · 1 in 726 boysNJConnecticut: #100 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 736 boysCTCalifornia: #148 for boys · 196 births · 1 in 891 boysCAUtah: #91 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 390 boysUTColorado: #181 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,155 boysCONebraska: #195 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,430 boysNEMissouri: #157 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 953 boysMOKentucky: #224 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,796 boysKYWest Virginia: #176 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,265 boysWVVirginia: #162 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 1,011 boysVAMaryland: #124 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 765 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedDEArizona: #230 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,401 boysAZNew Mexico: #133 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 583 boysNMKansas: #152 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 900 boysKSArkansas: #181 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,162 boysARTennessee: #204 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,544 boysTNNorth Carolina: #269 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 2,281 boysNCSouth Carolina: #253 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,073 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #125 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 678 boysDCOklahoma: #199 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,314 boysOKLouisiana: #123 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 562 boysLAMississippi: #159 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 901 boysMSAlabama: #217 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 1,416 boysALGeorgia: #231 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 1,671 boysGAHawaii: #81 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 298 boysHITexas: #176 for boys · 128 births · 1 in 958 boysTXFlorida: #162 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 975 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Alaska#76 · 1 in 315
  2. Hawaii#81 · 1 in 298
  3. Utah#91 · 1 in 390
  4. Idaho#92 · 1 in 368
  5. Wisconsin#95 · 1 in 598

Best ever in a state: #56 in Utah, 1941.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alaska#76101 in 315
Hawaii#81241 in 298
Utah#91301 in 390
Idaho#92201 in 368
Wisconsin#95781 in 598
Massachusetts#99661 in 868
Connecticut#100361 in 736
New Jersey#105841 in 726
Washington#106611 in 517
Rhode Island#10791 in 987
Michigan#1091611 in 613
New Hampshire#11581 in 778
Pennsylvania#1151531 in 806
New York#1212161 in 837
Louisiana#123761 in 562
Maryland#124421 in 765
District of Columbia#125221 in 678
Vermont#12651 in 795
Illinois#1291441 in 791
Ohio#1311391 in 823
New Mexico#133221 in 583
Iowa#134331 in 922
Minnesota#138391 in 1,049
Montana#146101 in 767
California#1481961 in 891
Indiana#149541 in 1,014
Oregon#149191 in 887
Kansas#152261 in 900
Maine#15691 in 1,194
Missouri#157511 in 953
Mississippi#159301 in 901
Florida#162531 in 975
Virginia#162431 in 1,011
Texas#1761281 in 958
West Virginia#176171 in 1,265
Arkansas#181171 in 1,162
Colorado#181181 in 1,155
South Dakota#18461 in 1,291
North Dakota#18561 in 1,239
Nebraska#195111 in 1,430
Oklahoma#199181 in 1,314
Tennessee#204261 in 1,544
Alabama#217271 in 1,416
Kentucky#224201 in 1,796
Arizona#230111 in 1,401
Georgia#231291 in 1,671
South Carolina#253141 in 2,073
North Carolina#269231 in 2,281
Delaware———
Nevada———
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)
  • 510 spots since 2015 (#1,075 → #1,585)
  • Biggest jump: 77 spots in 1881 (#373 → #296)
  • Biggest drop: 160 spots in 2008 (#859 → #1,019)
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
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s419#206 (1888)#268
1890s589#199 (1894)#224
1900s792#169 (1906)#217
1910s4,694#160 (1915)#193
1920s5,801#207 (1929)#228
1930s7,723#162 (1938)#180
1940s9,724#172 (1949)#181
1950s18,731#146 (1958)#159
1960s21,179#135 (1960)#151
1970s10,623#177 (1970)#216
1980s9,371#225 (1980)#247
1990s6,111#295 (1990)#400
2000s2,800#564 (2000)#747
2010s1,625#1,075 (2015)#1,162
2020s654#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.

Karl in 1958

girls
#3,232
14 births · 1 in 143,687 girls
boys
#146
2,348 births · 1 in 904 boys

Top girls' names in 1958

  1. #1Mary55,848
  2. #2Susan45,175
  3. #3Linda41,904
  4. #4Karen38,487
  5. #5Patricia37,961
  6. #6Debra35,521
  7. #7Deborah32,943
  8. #8Cynthia31,014
  9. #9Barbara27,874
  10. #10Donna26,959
  11. #3,232Karl14

Top boys' names in 1958

  1. #1Michael90,604
  2. #2David82,681
  3. #3James78,774
  4. #4Robert77,338
  5. #5John76,057
  6. #6William54,254
  7. #7Mark52,698
  8. #8Richard50,007
  9. #9Thomas42,088
  10. #10Steven32,968
  11. #146Karl2,348
More about 1958

girls

2,011,619 girls got a published name in 1958; 1 in 143,687 of them was named Karl, which outranked 54.0% of the 7,030 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Karl
  1. #3,085Verline15
  2. #3,085Viviana15
  3. #3,085Youlanda15
  4. #3,232Karl14
  5. #3,232Alan14
  6. #3,232Alex14
  7. #3,232Alise14
  8. #3,379Aggie13
  9. #3,379Albertine13
  10. #3,379Alease13

Tied with 146 names at #3,232; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1957
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,133Brigitte#1,904 → #771
  2. ↑ 760Samantha#1,754 → #994
  3. ↑ 709Selena#1,388 → #679
  4. ↑ 672Tambra#1,588 → #916
  5. ↑ 570Bridgette#1,274 → #704
Fallers
  1. ↓ 312Sarita#970 → #1,282
  2. ↓ 311Beryl#910 → #1,221
  3. ↓ 309Sherree#827 → #1,136
  4. ↓ 275Winnie#965 → #1,240
  5. ↓ 236Jacalyn#975 → #1,211

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,122,409 boys got a published name in 1958; 1 in 904 of them was named Karl, which outranked 96.8% of the 4,502 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Karl
  1. #143Bernard2,407
  2. #144Kent2,405
  3. #145Marc2,404
  4. #146Karl2,348
  5. #147Kirk2,340
  6. #148Kelly2,299
  7. #148Warren2,299
Biggest movers since 1957
Risers
  1. ↑ 742Wayde#1,364 → #622
  2. ↑ 568Maverick#1,364 → #796
  3. ↑ 516Darren#897 → #381
  4. ↑ 435Tobin#1,250 → #815
  5. ↑ 406Dion#928 → #522
Fallers
  1. ↓ 388Claud#957 → #1,345
  2. ↓ 349Ritchie#823 → #1,172
  3. ↓ 333Levon#944 → #1,277
  4. ↓ 320Weston#957 → #1,277
  5. ↓ 297Parker#925 → #1,222

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1958 →