Karl Name Popularity

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is Karl?

The uncommon name Karl was the 1,288th Most Popular Boys Name in the United States in 2018.

Karl, although not presently in the top 1000, did once enjoy higher rankings.

It reached its highest popularity ranking of #135 for the first time in 1960 and as recently as 1964.

The name was given to the greatest number of children in 1960 with 2,591 occurrences.

The least amount of newborns dubbed Karl in any given year was 21 in 1880.

Approximately during the years 1883-1888, 1897-1900, 1903-1906, 1908-1915, 1932-1936, and 1944-1957, the name Karl took a definitive turn upwards in popularity whereas clearly downward trends happened around 1964-1967, 1968-1975, 1990-1999, and 2005-2008.

Where is the name Karl popularity headed?

Currently, the name is at a very low point when compared to its most popular year.

Karl's popularity has been spiralling downward for some time. In recent years, continuing the trend, the number of babies given the name Karl has dropped.

The name Karl is still rare and will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

Relative to what it once was, Karl has fallen out of favor as a given name.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

Mouse over or Click

for Percentages.

		Karl (Girl)		Karl (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank
2018		< 5	--	142	1,288
2017		< 5	--	141	1,286
2016		< 5	--	167	1,150
2015		< 5	--	184	1,072
2014		< 5	--	162	1,164
2013		< 5	--	167	1,105
2012		< 5	--	161	1,137
2011		< 5	--	171	1,088
2010		< 5	--	177	1,089
2009		< 5	--	207	966
2008		< 5	--	188	1,019
2007		< 5	--	241	862
2006		< 5	--	270	771
2005		< 5	--	264	754
2004		< 5	--	281	695
2003		< 5	--	299	663
2002		< 5	--	330	609
2001		< 5	--	351	580
2000		< 5	--	366	564
1999		< 5	--	389	533
1998		< 5	--	455	482
1997		< 5	--	483	458
1996		< 5	--	503	449
1995		< 5	--	598	392
1994		< 5	--	612	381
1993		9	9,087	662	357
1992		< 5	--	738	336
1991		6	12,214	810	318
1990		6	12,054	856	295
1989		14	5,965	909	272
1988		23	3,951	843	274
1987		23	3,791	853	260
1986		29	3,159	903	248
1985		31	2,969	959	242
1984		24	3,460	895	244
1983		29	2,940	914	242
1982		27	3,210	974	240
1981		27	3,176	1,063	226
1980		24	3,450	1,058	225
1979		21	3,711	959	234
1978		22	3,434	901	232
1977		25	3,110	941	230
1976		26	2,899	867	235
1975		25	2,910	903	226
1974		26	2,791	1,004	214
1973		32	2,375	987	219
1972		26	2,704	1,166	199
1971		23	2,999	1,321	192
1970		23	2,977	1,576	177
1969		37	2,074	1,565	180
1968		22	2,744	1,603	168
1967		29	2,238	1,695	159
1966		19	2,886	1,791	158
1965		19	2,873	2,024	154
1964		18	3,043	2,402	135
1963		23	2,578	2,511	136
1962		21	2,698	2,457	142
1961		17	3,114	2,548	138
1960		20	2,774	2,591	135
1959		19	2,705	2,353	148
1958		14	3,295	2,346	146
1957		6	5,727	2,341	146
1956		14	3,243	2,057	150
1955		7	4,944	1,932	149
1954		< 5	--	1,739	165
1953		< 5	--	1,653	163
1952		< 5	--	1,564	170
1951		7	4,593	1,439	176
1950		< 5	--	1,303	172
1949		< 5	--	1,322	172
1948		< 5	--	1,185	179
1947		6	5,008	1,119	184
1946		< 5	--	998	185
1945		< 5	--	759	196
1944		< 5	--	837	186
1943		5	5,011	905	182
1942		5	4,978	878	179
1941		< 5	--	865	177
1940		< 5	--	855	174
1939		< 5	--	866	171
1938		< 5	--	985	162
1937		< 5	--	907	162
1936		5	4,533	831	166
1935		< 5	--	811	171
1934		6	4,055	688	186
1933		5	4,542	682	181
1932		< 5	--	670	193
1931		7	3,681	635	204
1930		7	3,860	648	206
1929		7	3,867	636	207
1928		8	3,600	599	219
1927		8	3,719	629	212
1926		< 5	--	596	226
1925		7	4,218	589	225
1924		5	5,467	584	233
1923		< 5	--	565	235
1922		< 5	--	527	246
1921		< 5	--	573	233
1920		< 5	--	502	245
1919		7	4,046	515	234
1918		< 5	--	600	209
1917		< 5	--	673	181
1916		8	3,410	685	176
1915		6	4,012	715	160
1914		< 5	--	548	161
1913		< 5	--	387	177
1912		< 5	--	323	182
1911		< 5	--	156	195
1910		< 5	--	92	252
1909		< 5	--	102	211
1908		< 5	--	97	210
1907		< 5	--	89	214
1906		< 5	--	108	169
1905		< 5	--	65	243
1904		< 5	--	67	230
1903		< 5	--	70	213
1902		< 5	--	65	223
1901		< 5	--	54	235
1900		< 5	--	75	232
1899		< 5	--	49	239
1898		< 5	--	53	241
1897		< 5	--	57	233
1896		< 5	--	60	234
1895		< 5	--	67	211
1894		< 5	--	73	201
1893		< 5	--	63	216
1892		< 5	--	59	231
1891		< 5	--	61	203
1890		< 5	--	47	248
1889		< 5	--	50	229
1888		< 5	--	71	207
1887		< 5	--	49	224
1886		< 5	--	48	249
1885		< 5	--	44	249
1884		< 5	--	34	298
1883		< 5	--	33	287
1882		< 5	--	40	272
1881		< 5	--	29	299
1880		< 5	--	21	377

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.