Total births
504,827
Boys' name · since 1880
Carl
Carl has 504,827 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1031
- among boys today
- 504,827
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Carl currently ranks #1031 among boys' names in America, with 504,827 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Carl recorded 504,827 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1031 nationally today, ahead of 93% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1031 among boys today
- 504,827 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carl is currently the #1031 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 504,827 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1031
- among boys today
- 504,827
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Carl vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1031
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Carl was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
8,313 babies were named Carl in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Carl compares
504,827 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Carl's all-time total is 1,376x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carl | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 504,827 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8,313 | 23 | 22,252 |
Carl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Carl splits its recorded history at 1953: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2025 (187 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 8,313 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Carl at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#1,031
Active since
1880
Carl popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 8,313
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Carl popularity over time - girls
3,190 total births recorded since 1885 (Carl as girls' name)
Carl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Carl's strongest decade.
78,752 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Carl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,227
1880s
5,227 births
- 1890s 8,047
1890s
8,047 births
- 1900s 9,865
1900s
9,865 births
- 1910s
1910s
48,454 births
- 1920s
1920s
69,851 births
- 1930s
1930s
66,759 births
- 1940s
1940s
72,739 births
- 1950s
1950s
78,752 births
- 1960s
1960s
60,787 births
- 1970s 31,370
1970s
31,370 births
- 1980s 25,472
1980s
25,472 births
- 1990s 14,693
1990s
14,693 births
- 2000s 7,198
2000s
7,198 births
- 2010s 4,225
2010s
4,225 births
- 2020s 1,388
2020s
1,388 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 78,752 births (16% of all-time use).
How Carl compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Carl's total volume
Carl vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Carl by state
Where Carl concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 35,865 | 7.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 34,118 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 32,731 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 27,712 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 23,690 | 4.7% |
| #6 | California | | 23,082 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 21,844 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 16,135 | 3.2% |
Pennsylvania share of Carl's total US births 7.1%
Even split
35,865 of 504,827 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Carl appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carl? ▼
Carl has been given to 504,827 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1031 as of the latest data. 8,313 babies were born in 1956, its single highest year.
When was Carl most popular? ▼
Carl was most popular in the 1950s decade with 78,752 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Carl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carl are Pennsylvania (35,865 births), New York (34,118 births), Ohio (32,731 births).
How long has the name Carl been used? ▼
Records for Carl go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Carl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carlos, Carter, Carson, Carlton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Carl's data
- Carl's decade-level peak was the 1950s (78,752 total births); usage has since declined to 1,388 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Carls (35,865 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carl
Nearby Names Like Carl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carl
Carlos Boy
#135 307,036 births
Carter Boy
#46 206,833 births
Carson Boy
#124 132,774 births
Carlton Boy
#2791 48,890 births
Carroll Boy
35,431 births
Compare Carl side by side: Carl vs Carlos Carl vs Carter Carl vs Carson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carl
Eider #1030
742 births · Peak 2024
Kellen #1032
17,042 births · Peak 2012
Kartier #1029
1,714 births · Peak 2022
Ahmir #1033
3,814 births · Peak 2022
Wren #1028
2,261 births · Peak 2023
Cashton #1034
2,891 births · Peak 2024
Osman #1027
3,893 births · Peak 2022
Bronson #1035
10,693 births · Peak 2015
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carl: #1031 Boys' Name - 504,827 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carl. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Carl draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.