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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201983peak #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 1983

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #127 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 672 boysAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #125 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,035 boysNHWashington: #166 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,212 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedIDMontana: #155 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 962 boysMTNorth Dakota: #120 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 714 boysNDMinnesota: #107 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 762 boysMNIllinois: #223 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 1,543 boysILWisconsin: #133 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,091 boysWIMichigan: #162 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 1,251 boysMINew York: #248 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 1,945 boysNYMassachusetts: #173 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,915 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedRIOregon: #173 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,313 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedSDIowa: #145 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,136 boysIAIndiana: #217 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,229 boysINOhio: #229 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 2,376 boysOHPennsylvania: #171 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 1,533 boysPANew Jersey: #189 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 1,462 boysNJConnecticut: #174 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,551 boysCTCalifornia: #286 for boys · 91 births · 1 in 2,274 boysCAUtah: #158 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,071 boysUTColorado: #189 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,322 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedNEMissouri: #253 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,757 boysMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedWVVirginia: #215 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,590 boysVAMaryland: #199 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,442 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedDEArizona: #325 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,640 boysAZNew Mexico: #342 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,335 boysNMKansas: #295 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,958 boysKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #254 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 2,110 boysNCSouth Carolina: #335 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,963 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #325 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,130 boysOKLouisiana: #305 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,158 boysLAMississippi: #327 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,591 boysMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedALGeorgia: #303 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 2,699 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Karl, so not publishedHITexas: #283 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 1,947 boysTXFlorida: #255 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 1,747 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Minnesota#107 · 1 in 762
  2. North Dakota#120 · 1 in 714
  3. New Hampshire#125 · 1 in 1,035
  4. Alaska#127 · 1 in 672
  5. Wisconsin#133 · 1 in 1,091

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Minnesota#107411 in 762
North Dakota#12081 in 714
New Hampshire#12561 in 1,035
Alaska#12771 in 672
Wisconsin#133311 in 1,091
Iowa#145181 in 1,136
Montana#15561 in 962
Utah#158171 in 1,071
Michigan#162501 in 1,251
Washington#166261 in 1,212
Pennsylvania#171501 in 1,533
Massachusetts#173191 in 1,915
Oregon#173141 in 1,313
Connecticut#174121 in 1,551
Colorado#189191 in 1,322
New Jersey#189301 in 1,462
Maryland#199181 in 1,442
Virginia#215221 in 1,590
Indiana#217171 in 2,229
Illinois#223531 in 1,543
Ohio#229321 in 2,376
New York#248601 in 1,945
Missouri#253131 in 2,757
North Carolina#254181 in 2,110
Florida#255391 in 1,747
Texas#283731 in 1,947
California#286911 in 2,274
Kansas#29561 in 2,958
Georgia#303151 in 2,699
Louisiana#305171 in 2,158
Arizona#32591 in 2,640
Oklahoma#32581 in 3,130
Mississippi#32771 in 2,591
South Carolina#33571 in 2,963
New Mexico#34251 in 2,335
Alabama———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Vermont———
West Virginia———
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 1983

girls
#2,910
29 births · 1 in 57,607 girls
boys
#242
911 births · 1 in 1,968 boys

Top girls' names in 1983

  1. #1Jennifer54,353
  2. #2Jessica45,283
  3. #3Amanda33,749
  4. #4Ashley33,289
  5. #5Sarah27,228
  6. #6Melissa23,475
  7. #7Nicole22,400
  8. #8Stephanie22,329
  9. #9Heather20,747
  10. #10Elizabeth19,842
  11. #2,910Karl29

Top boys' names in 1983

  1. #1Michael68,004
  2. #2Christopher59,324
  3. #3Matthew50,209
  4. #4David39,201
  5. #5Joshua36,687
  6. #6James36,342
  7. #7Jason35,113
  8. #8Daniel34,748
  9. #9John33,154
  10. #10Robert32,745
  11. #242Karl911
More about 1983

girls

1,670,609 girls got a published name in 1983; 1 in 57,607 of them was named Karl, which outranked 75.9% of the 12,074 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Karl
  1. #2,853Tyla30
  2. #2,853Vania30
  3. #2,853Yuliana30
  4. #2,910Karl29
  5. #2,910Alida29
  6. #2,910Alta29
  7. #2,910Anisa29
  8. #2,975Adriann28
  9. #2,975Aerial28
  10. #2,975Alejandrina28

Tied with 64 names at #2,910; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1982
Risers
  1. ↑ 6,772Ciji#7,469 → #697
  2. ↑ 6,751Kirby#7,469 → #718
  3. ↑ 2,656Dwan#3,530 → #874
  4. ↑ 1,888Mallory#2,220 → #332
  5. ↑ 987Marquita#1,099 → #112
Fallers
  1. ↓ 656Syreeta#717 → #1,373
  2. ↓ 572Jenilee#817 → #1,389
  3. ↓ 538Tenika#947 → #1,485
  4. ↓ 396Toccara#541 → #937
  5. ↓ 333Venus#950 → #1,283

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

boys

1,792,564 boys got a published name in 1983; 1 in 1,968 of them was named Karl, which outranked 96.7% of the 7,344 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Karl
  1. #239Harold940
  2. #240Andres939
  3. #241Julian932
  4. #242Karl911
  5. #243Marco909
  6. #244Stanley908
  7. #245Edgar896
Biggest movers since 1982
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,260Remington#3,108 → #848
  2. ↑ 2,159Trumaine#3,108 → #949
  3. ↑ 1,157Akeem#1,774 → #617
  4. ↑ 738Jacoby#1,654 → #916
  5. ↑ 655Deven#1,622 → #967
Fallers
  1. ↓ 284Marcello#969 → #1,253
  2. ↓ 275Schuyler#845 → #1,120
  3. ↓ 273Jessy#917 → #1,190
  4. ↓ 258Kennith#981 → #1,239
  5. ↓ 220Jarrad#933 → #1,153

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

See the top 100 for 1983 →