Carl is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Carl means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Carl across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Carl has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Carl is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “free man”. a form of Charles.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 508,017 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,039 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 217 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 111 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,555 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,304 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Carl per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1956 (8,345/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (387/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1993 (54/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (15/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1997 (12/yr).
Carl has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1956, when it ranked #99 nationally (given to 8,345 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Carol · Carole · Carla · Carly · Karl · Karla · Carroll · Carrol
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