Karl
Karl is a boy name of German origin, meaning Free man.
What Karl means
Free man.
Karl is short — 4 letters, and ends on a consonant, which gives it a firmer stop.
Where Karl comes from
German names are typically Germanic compounds, built from two elements — often one describing strength or protection and one describing a domain such as battle, home, or people.
Karl is recorded as German in origin. Browse other German names.
How popular is Karl?
You will not find Karl in the top 100 boy names at the moment. Plenty of well-known names sit outside the charts; popularity measures how often a name is registered, not how good or how real it is.
The character of Karl
We group Karl under the long-established classics. If that is the quality drawing you to it, the theme link below collects every other name we hold in the same group.
Themes: Classic
Names like Karl
These share Karl's themes, origin, or both — closest first.
- Albert — Noble and bright.
- Charles — Free man.
- Ernest — Serious and resolute.
- Frederick — Peaceful ruler.
- Otis — Wealthy.
- Otto — Wealth and prosperity.
- Raymond — Wise protector.
- Robert — Bright fame.
- Roland — Famous throughout the land.
- Rupert — Bright fame.
- Adelaide — Of noble kind.
- Caroline — Free woman; strong.