Total births
10,960
Girls' name · since 1961
Karli
Since 1961, U.S. Social Security records show 10,960 babies named Karli, peaking in 1994. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2988
- among girls today
- 10,960
- born since 1961
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Karli is the #2988 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 10,960 recorded since 1961.
Karli has 10,960 recorded births among girls since 1961, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2988 as of the latest data, more common than 83% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1961 to 2025.
- #2988 among girls today
- 10,960 born since 1961
- 1990s peak decade
- 83% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karli is currently the #2988 girls' name in America, more common than 83% of girls - 10,960 born since 1961, peaking in the 1990s.
- #2988
- among girls today
- 10,960
- born since 1961
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Karli vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2988
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 83% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Karli was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
425 babies were named Karli in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Karli compares
10,960 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Karli's all-time total is 29x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karli | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,960 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 425 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karli's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Karli splits its recorded history at 1996: 66% of all births land in the more recent half, 34% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1961 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1994 peak of 425 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Karli at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1994
Current rank
#2,988
Active since
1961
Karli popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1961–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 425
- Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
Karli by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Karli's strongest decade.
3,666 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Karli births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 22
1960s
22 births
- 1970s 306
1970s
306 births
- 1980s 1,327
1980s
1,327 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,666 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,440 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,727 births
- 2020s 472
2020s
472 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,666 births (33% of all-time use).
How Karli compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Karli's total volume
Karli vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karli by state
Where Karli concentrates geographically, total births since 1961
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 846 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 832 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 556 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 475 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 432 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 341 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 336 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 320 | 2.9% |
California share of Karli's total US births 7.7%
Even split
846 of 10,960 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Karli appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karli? ▼
Karli has been given to 10,960 babies in the U.S. since 1961, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2988 as of the latest data. 425 babies were born in 1994, its single highest year.
When was Karli most popular? ▼
Karli was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,666 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Karli most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karli are California (846 births), Texas (832 births), Ohio (556 births).
How long has the name Karli been used? ▼
Records for Karli go back to 1961, giving 65 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Karli? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Karli's data
- Karli's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,666 total births); usage has since declined to 472 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karlis (846 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Karli
Nearby Names Like Karli
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karli
Karen Girl
#1251 987,989 births
Kara Girl
#990 101,743 births
Karla Girl
#733 91,586 births
Karina Girl
#772 61,464 births
Kari Girl
#1843 59,696 births
Compare Karli side by side: Karli vs Karen Karli vs Kara Karli vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karli
Brittney #2987
82,203 births · Peak 1989
Indira #2989
2,476 births · Peak 2001
Cheyanne #2986
15,427 births · Peak 1999
Chesney #2990
2,664 births · Peak 2005
Masa #2985
533 births · Peak 2023
Tzipora #2991
1,332 births · Peak 2024
Eleana #2984
1,699 births · Peak 2023
Henny #2992
1,056 births · Peak 2025
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, 1961–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karli: #2988 Girls' Name - 10,960 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karli. 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 Karli 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.