heyotag

Name meaning & stats

Karl

Karl means “free man” (Germanic origin). 81,647 US babies since 1940, peak 1960. Notable Karls are 1.3× over-represented as American football players.

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What it means

“free man”

GermanicForm of Charles

In US birth records

Peak year: 1960

40s50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s

81,647 US babies were named Karl between 1940 and 2025.

Where Karls end up

Not enough notable Karls yet, so this uses the spelling family: Carl, Karl, Carroll, Carlyle.

Careervs expectedConfidence
NFL-style footballer1.3×High · 98 people
Politician1.1×High · 96 people
Footballer1.1×High · 92 people
Professor1.1×High · 65 people

Among notable men who are American football players, the Carl family show up 1.3× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.

Notable people born 1940–2005 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.

One more thing…

Karl has a surprise career: 1.5×

Reveal it in Karl's story

Spelling family

1 in 5 Carls spell it Karl

  • Carl 74%
  • Karl 20%
  • Carroll 5%
  • Carlyle <1%
  • Carle <1%
  • Carrell <1%
  • Carel <1%
  • Karell <1%
  • Carrel <1%

Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.

Name twins (peaked around 1960)