Total births
10,866
Girls' name · since 1972
Karly
Karly has 10,866 recorded births since 1972 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1993 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2573
- among girls today
- 10,866
- born since 1972
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Karly currently ranks #2573 among girls' names in America, with 10,866 babies recorded since 1972.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karly has been recorded 10,866 times among girls since 1972, currently ranked #2573 nationally and more common than 85% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #2573 among girls today
- 10,866 born since 1972
- 1990s peak decade
- 85% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karly is currently the #2573 girls' name in America, more common than 85% of girls - 10,866 born since 1972, peaking in the 1990s.
- #2573
- among girls today
- 10,866
- born since 1972
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Karly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2573
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 85% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Karly was born in this single decade.
1993
Single peak year
427 babies were named Karly in 1993 - its busiest year on record.
How Karly compares
10,866 Top 9% higher than 91% 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
Karly's all-time total is 28x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,866 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 427 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Karly's full recorded timeline at 1999, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1972, with just 10 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1993 peak of 427 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Karly at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1993
Current rank
#2,573
Active since
1972
Karly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (1993)
- 427
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Karly popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1978 (Karly as boys' name)
Karly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Karly's strongest decade.
3,666 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Karly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 344
1970s
344 births
- 1980s 1,424
1980s
1,424 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,666 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,072 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,923 births
- 2020s 437
2020s
437 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,666 births (34% of all-time use).
How Karly 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 Karly's total volume
Karly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karly by state
Where Karly concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,272 | 11.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 736 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 510 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 499 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 479 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 432 | 4.0% |
| #7 | New York | | 382 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Florida | | 376 | 3.5% |
California share of Karly's total US births 11.7%
Even split
1,272 of 10,866 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Karly appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karly? ▼
Since 1972, Social Security records show 10,866 babies named Karly. Today it holds rank #2573 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1993, with 427 births.
When was Karly most popular? ▼
Karly was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,666 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Where is Karly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karly are California (1,272 births), Texas (736 births), Pennsylvania (510 births).
How long has the name Karly been used? ▼
Records for Karly go back to 1972, giving 54 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Karly? ▼
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 Karly's data
- Karly's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,666 total births); usage has since declined to 437 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karlys (1,272 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 Karly
Nearby Names Like Karly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karly
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 Karly side by side: Karly vs Karen Karly vs Kara Karly vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karly
Katara #2572
1,479 births · Peak 2024
Destinee #2574
16,800 births · Peak 1999
Keisha #2571
22,293 births · Peak 1977
Keiry #2575
2,070 births · Peak 2021
Katana #2570
1,771 births · Peak 2023
Saniya #2576
6,985 births · Peak 2007
Zayda #2569
2,305 births · Peak 2020
Isley #2577
1,181 births · Peak 2016
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, 1972–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karly: #2573 Girls' Name - 10,866 Births, Peak 1993." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karly. 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 Karly 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.