Carl was a very popular boys' name that peaked at #22 in 1894 but is far less common today.
Carl is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #1,134 for boy births in the United States (and #2,311 across all names), given to 187 babies. Carl first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1956 (8,313 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 187 | 187 | — | #1,134 |
| 2024 | 216 | 216 | — | #1,032 |
| 2023 | 233 | 233 | — | #964 |
| 2022 | 220 | 220 | — | #1,013 |
| 2021 | 246 | 246 | — | #922 |
| 2020 | 286 | 286 | — | #813 |
| 2019 | 319 | 319 | — | #748 |
| 2018 | 345 | 345 | — | #701 |
| 2017 | 415 | 415 | — | #628 |
| 2016 | 445 | 445 | — | #605 |
| 2015 | 457 | 457 | — | #600 |
| 2014 | 436 | 436 | — | #613 |
| 2013 | 446 | 446 | — | #579 |
| 2012 | 487 | 487 | — | #537 |
| 2011 | 426 | 426 | — | #589 |
| 2010 | 449 | 449 | — | #563 |
| 2009 | 519 | 519 | — | #521 |
| 2008 | 559 | 559 | — | #491 |
| 2007 | 628 | 628 | — | #445 |
| 2006 | 658 | 658 | — | #427 |
| 2005 | 653 | 653 | — | #415 |
| 2004 | 752 | 752 | — | #369 |
| 2003 | 775 | 775 | — | #354 |
| 2002 | 784 | 784 | — | #349 |
| 2001 | 882 | 882 | — | #318 |
| 2000 | 988 | 988 | — | #304 |
| 1999 | 996 | 996 | — | #290 |
| 1998 | 1,147 | 1,152 | — | #260 |
| 1997 | 1,093 | — | — | #260 |
| 1996 | 1,184 | — | — | #250 |
| 1995 | 1,380 | — | — | #213 |
| 1994 | 1,421 | — | #12,020 | #204 |
| 1993 | 1,592 | — | #10,786 | #193 |
| 1992 | 1,793 | — | #7,596 | #181 |
| 1991 | 1,929 | — | #10,436 | #168 |
| 1990 | 2,195 | — | #11,627 | #145 |
| 1989 | 2,274 | — | #5,584 | #135 |
| 1988 | 2,348 | — | #3,236 | #126 |
| 1987 | 2,253 | — | #3,115 | #126 |
| 1986 | 2,479 | — | #2,737 | #114 |
| 1985 | 2,553 | — | #3,260 | #112 |
| 1984 | 2,592 | — | #3,338 | #108 |
| 1983 | 2,639 | — | #2,600 | #106 |
| 1982 | 2,848 | — | #2,188 | #104 |
| 1981 | 2,825 | — | #2,787 | #106 |
| 1980 | 2,970 | — | #2,658 | #103 |
| 1979 | 2,921 | — | #3,454 | #100 |
| 1978 | 2,647 | — | #2,241 | #100 |
| 1977 | 2,654 | — | #2,310 | #99 |
| 1976 | 2,702 | — | #2,492 | #95 |
| 1975 | 2,858 | — | #1,881 | #91 |
| 1974 | 2,930 | — | #2,259 | #89 |
| 1973 | 3,058 | — | #1,859 | #90 |
| 1972 | 3,442 | — | #2,139 | #85 |
| 1971 | 4,092 | — | #2,177 | #72 |
| 1970 | 4,453 | — | #1,760 | #66 |
| 1969 | 4,565 | — | #1,901 | #62 |
| 1968 | 4,684 | — | #1,913 | #59 |
| 1967 | 4,930 | — | #1,851 | #57 |
| 1966 | 5,271 | — | #1,701 | #56 |
| 1965 | 5,829 | — | #2,067 | #54 |
| 1964 | 6,699 | — | #1,921 | #55 |
| 1963 | 7,166 | — | #1,897 | #54 |
| 1962 | 6,888 | — | #1,995 | #58 |
| 1961 | 7,292 | — | #1,896 | #56 |
| 1960 | 7,862 | — | #1,502 | #53 |
| 1959 | 7,538 | — | #1,825 | #54 |
| 1958 | 7,777 | — | #1,632 | #51 |
| 1957 | 8,222 | — | #1,994 | #49 |
| 1956 | 8,345 | — | #1,900 | #48 |
| 1955 | 8,326 | — | #1,884 | #47 |
| 1954 | 8,166 | — | #1,950 | #47 |
| 1953 | 7,853 | — | #2,128 | #44 |
| 1952 | 7,842 | — | #2,417 | #45 |
| 1951 | 7,679 | — | #1,530 | #43 |
| 1950 | 7,316 | — | #1,794 | #44 |
| 1949 | 7,724 | — | #1,564 | #43 |
| 1948 | 7,863 | — | #1,603 | #42 |
| 1947 | 8,082 | — | #1,702 | #40 |
| 1946 | 7,405 | — | #1,816 | #39 |
| 1945 | 6,340 | — | #1,625 | #39 |
| 1944 | 6,855 | — | #1,492 | #36 |
| 1943 | 7,512 | — | #1,294 | #33 |
| 1942 | 7,300 | — | #1,446 | #36 |
| 1941 | 7,191 | — | #1,387 | #29 |
| 1940 | 6,783 | — | #1,354 | #32 |
| 1939 | 6,638 | — | #1,066 | #30 |
| 1938 | 6,881 | — | #1,288 | #29 |
| 1937 | 6,950 | — | #1,199 | #28 |
| 1936 | 6,632 | — | #1,096 | #27 |
| 1935 | 6,719 | — | #1,453 | #28 |
| 1934 | 6,721 | — | #1,150 | #28 |
| 1933 | 6,223 | — | #1,203 | #28 |
| 1932 | 6,760 | — | #1,045 | #28 |
| 1931 | 6,637 | — | #942 | #28 |
| 1930 | 7,009 | — | #959 | #26 |
| 1929 | 6,945 | — | #1,032 | #28 |
| 1928 | 7,007 | — | #956 | #28 |
| 1927 | 7,334 | — | #1,010 | #26 |
| 1926 | 6,986 | — | #1,098 | #26 |
| 1925 | 7,111 | — | #1,075 | #28 |
| 1924 | 7,131 | — | #1,152 | #27 |
| 1923 | 6,920 | — | #1,088 | #28 |
| 1922 | 6,738 | — | #1,104 | #30 |
| 1921 | 7,119 | — | #1,188 | #30 |
| 1920 | 7,055 | — | #1,122 | #27 |
| 1919 | 6,519 | — | #1,092 | #29 |
| 1918 | 7,055 | — | #1,007 | #25 |
| 1917 | 6,745 | — | #1,043 | #24 |
| 1916 | 6,824 | — | #1,130 | #23 |
| 1915 | 6,643 | — | #1,290 | #22 |
| 1914 | 4,840 | — | #1,036 | #24 |
| 1913 | 3,960 | — | #1,096 | #23 |
| 1912 | 3,243 | — | #1,225 | #24 |
| 1911 | 1,587 | — | #1,314 | #26 |
| 1910 | 1,351 | — | #1,345 | #26 |
| 1909 | 1,225 | — | #1,379 | #25 |
| 1908 | 1,083 | — | #1,458 | #29 |
| 1907 | 1,027 | — | #1,403 | #27 |
| 1906 | 957 | — | #1,760 | #27 |
| 1905 | 970 | — | #1,171 | #26 |
| 1904 | 960 | — | #1,509 | #25 |
| 1903 | 916 | — | #1,627 | #23 |
| 1902 | 961 | — | #1,234 | #24 |
| 1901 | 826 | — | #1,146 | #24 |
| 1900 | 1,026 | — | #1,237 | #29 |
| 1899 | 781 | — | #1,294 | #25 |
| 1898 | 927 | — | #1,274 | #24 |
| 1897 | 840 | — | #934 | #25 |
| 1896 | 857 | — | #1,619 | #25 |
| 1895 | 865 | — | #866 | #22 |
| 1894 | 871 | — | #1,007 | #22 |
| 1893 | 793 | — | #1,194 | #24 |
| 1892 | 818 | — | #966 | #25 |
| 1891 | 685 | — | #900 | #24 |
| 1890 | 701 | — | #1,017 | #27 |
| 1889 | 710 | — | #1,163 | #27 |
| 1888 | 685 | — | #846 | #29 |
| 1887 | 595 | — | #959 | #28 |
| 1886 | 562 | — | #1,005 | #32 |
| 1885 | 499 | — | #1,066 | #34 |
| 1884 | 521 | — | — | #36 |
| 1883 | 480 | — | — | #32 |
| 1882 | 478 | — | — | #35 |
| 1881 | 359 | — | — | #41 |
| 1880 | 372 | — | — | #42 |