Karl is a familiar boys' name that peaked in 1960 and has since faded.
Karl is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #1,593 for boy births in the United States (and #3,390 across all names), given to 107 babies. Karl was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1960 (2,594 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 107 | 107 | — | #1,593 |
| 2024 | 99 | 99 | — | #1,693 |
| 2023 | 101 | 101 | — | #1,688 |
| 2022 | 128 | 128 | — | #1,430 |
| 2021 | 115 | 115 | — | #1,535 |
| 2020 | 104 | 104 | — | #1,570 |
| 2019 | 145 | 145 | — | #1,285 |
| 2018 | 143 | 143 | — | #1,288 |
| 2017 | 141 | 141 | — | #1,289 |
| 2016 | 167 | 167 | — | #1,152 |
| 2015 | 184 | 184 | — | #1,075 |
| 2014 | 165 | 165 | — | #1,148 |
| 2013 | 169 | 169 | — | #1,099 |
| 2012 | 161 | 161 | — | #1,139 |
| 2011 | 173 | 173 | — | #1,079 |
| 2010 | 177 | 177 | — | #1,089 |
| 2009 | 207 | 207 | — | #967 |
| 2008 | 188 | 188 | — | #1,020 |
| 2007 | 242 | 242 | — | #860 |
| 2006 | 270 | 270 | — | #771 |
| 2005 | 265 | 265 | — | #752 |
| 2004 | 281 | 286 | — | #695 |
| 2003 | 300 | 300 | — | #660 |
| 2002 | 330 | 330 | — | #609 |
| 2001 | 351 | 351 | — | #580 |
| 2000 | 366 | 366 | — | #564 |
| 1999 | 390 | 396 | — | #534 |
| 1998 | 455 | 455 | — | #482 |
| 1997 | 483 | — | — | #459 |
| 1996 | 504 | — | — | #447 |
| 1995 | 598 | — | — | #392 |
| 1994 | 612 | — | — | #382 |
| 1993 | 671 | — | #9,091 | #357 |
| 1992 | 738 | — | — | #336 |
| 1991 | 817 | — | #12,217 | #317 |
| 1990 | 864 | — | #12,057 | #295 |
| 1989 | 922 | — | #5,967 | #273 |
| 1988 | 866 | — | #3,952 | #274 |
| 1987 | 876 | — | #3,791 | #260 |
| 1986 | 933 | — | #3,162 | #248 |
| 1985 | 992 | — | #2,971 | #242 |
| 1984 | 920 | — | #3,461 | #244 |
| 1983 | 940 | — | #2,940 | #242 |
| 1982 | 1,000 | — | #3,212 | #240 |
| 1981 | 1,089 | — | #3,176 | #226 |
| 1980 | 1,084 | — | #3,452 | #225 |
| 1979 | 977 | — | #3,709 | #234 |
| 1978 | 922 | — | #3,435 | #232 |
| 1977 | 966 | — | #3,111 | #230 |
| 1976 | 894 | — | #2,900 | #234 |
| 1975 | 929 | — | #2,910 | #226 |
| 1974 | 1,030 | — | #2,791 | #214 |
| 1973 | 1,017 | — | #2,376 | #220 |
| 1972 | 1,193 | — | #2,706 | #199 |
| 1971 | 1,346 | — | #3,000 | #191 |
| 1970 | 1,598 | — | #2,980 | #177 |
| 1969 | 1,602 | — | #2,076 | #180 |
| 1968 | 1,620 | — | #2,746 | #168 |
| 1967 | 1,724 | — | #2,237 | #159 |
| 1966 | 1,811 | — | #2,886 | #158 |
| 1965 | 2,038 | — | #2,874 | #154 |
| 1964 | 2,421 | — | #3,045 | #135 |
| 1963 | 2,536 | — | #2,580 | #136 |
| 1962 | 2,478 | — | #2,698 | #142 |
| 1961 | 2,560 | — | #3,119 | #138 |
| 1960 | 2,614 | — | #2,773 | #135 |
| 1959 | 2,373 | — | #2,708 | #148 |
| 1958 | 2,362 | — | #3,296 | #146 |
| 1957 | 2,344 | — | #5,728 | #146 |
| 1956 | 2,074 | — | #3,245 | #150 |
| 1955 | 1,942 | — | #4,946 | #149 |
| 1954 | 1,736 | — | — | #166 |
| 1953 | 1,653 | — | — | #163 |
| 1952 | 1,564 | — | — | #170 |
| 1951 | 1,446 | — | #4,593 | #175 |
| 1950 | 1,304 | — | — | #172 |
| 1949 | 1,321 | — | — | #172 |
| 1948 | 1,187 | — | — | #179 |
| 1947 | 1,125 | — | #5,008 | #184 |
| 1946 | 998 | — | — | #185 |
| 1945 | 758 | — | — | #197 |
| 1944 | 837 | — | — | #186 |
| 1943 | 912 | — | #5,010 | #182 |
| 1942 | 883 | — | #4,978 | #179 |
| 1941 | 864 | — | — | #178 |
| 1940 | 855 | — | — | #174 |
| 1939 | 866 | — | — | #171 |
| 1938 | 985 | — | — | #162 |
| 1937 | 907 | — | — | #162 |
| 1936 | 835 | — | #4,533 | #166 |
| 1935 | 812 | — | — | #171 |
| 1934 | 695 | — | #4,055 | #186 |
| 1933 | 686 | — | #4,541 | #181 |
| 1932 | 670 | — | — | #193 |
| 1931 | 642 | — | #3,680 | #204 |
| 1930 | 655 | — | #3,860 | #206 |
| 1929 | 644 | — | #3,867 | #207 |
| 1928 | 607 | — | #3,601 | #219 |
| 1927 | 638 | — | #3,719 | #211 |
| 1926 | 595 | — | — | #226 |
| 1925 | 596 | — | #4,220 | #225 |
| 1924 | 589 | — | #5,468 | #233 |
| 1923 | 565 | — | — | #235 |
| 1922 | 527 | — | — | #246 |
| 1921 | 573 | — | — | #233 |
| 1920 | 502 | — | — | #245 |
| 1919 | 522 | — | #4,045 | #234 |
| 1918 | 600 | — | — | #209 |
| 1917 | 673 | — | — | #181 |
| 1916 | 693 | — | #3,410 | #176 |
| 1915 | 721 | — | #4,012 | #160 |
| 1914 | 548 | — | — | #161 |
| 1913 | 387 | — | — | #177 |
| 1912 | 323 | — | — | #182 |
| 1911 | 156 | — | — | #195 |
| 1910 | 92 | — | — | #252 |
| 1909 | 102 | — | — | #211 |
| 1908 | 97 | — | — | #210 |
| 1907 | 89 | — | — | #214 |
| 1906 | 108 | — | — | #169 |
| 1905 | 65 | — | — | #243 |
| 1904 | 67 | — | — | #230 |
| 1903 | 70 | — | — | #213 |
| 1902 | 65 | — | — | #223 |
| 1901 | 54 | — | — | #235 |
| 1900 | 75 | — | — | #231 |
| 1899 | 49 | — | — | #239 |
| 1898 | 53 | — | — | #241 |
| 1897 | 57 | — | — | #233 |
| 1896 | 60 | — | — | #234 |
| 1895 | 67 | — | — | #211 |
| 1894 | 73 | — | — | #201 |
| 1893 | 63 | — | — | #216 |
| 1892 | 59 | — | — | #231 |
| 1891 | 61 | — | — | #203 |
| 1890 | 47 | — | — | #248 |
| 1889 | 50 | — | — | #229 |
| 1888 | 71 | — | — | #207 |
| 1887 | 49 | — | — | #224 |
| 1886 | 48 | — | — | #249 |
| 1885 | 44 | — | — | #249 |
| 1884 | 34 | — | — | #298 |
| 1883 | 33 | — | — | #287 |
| 1882 | 40 | — | — | #272 |
| 1881 | 29 | — | — | #299 |
| 1880 | 21 | — | — | #377 |