Boy name
Carl
Carl holds the #1132 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 187 newborn boys in a single year. The name has been cooling off, slipping from #812 in 2020 to #1132 today. Its strongest year on record was 1894 (#22 nationally, 861 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in Kansas (#352 there in 2025).
Rankings
2025 rank
#1132
among boy names
Trend
Falling
last 5 years
All-time peak
#22
in 1894 (1890s)
Babies in 2025
187
boys named Carl
Carl popularity, 1880–2025
Where Carl is most popular
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: Kansas (#352), Kentucky (#526), Oregon (#604)
Uniqueness score
56/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind
Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Carl in the most recent year of SSA data.