Is Carl a boy or girl name?

Carl is primarily a boy name in U.S. records: about 1% of recorded births are female.

What is the average age of someone named Carl?

The average Carl alive today is an estimated 61 years old. People named Carl were most often born around 1960.

When was the name Carl most popular?

Carl peaked in 1956 with 8,345 recorded births in the United States.

What vibe does the name Carl have?

In one report's words: blunt, unvarnished, rotary. Carl ranks #131 among all U.S. first names since 1880.

Carl — Name Meaning, Age & Vibe | Understand Your Name

UNDERSTAND YOUR NAME

Origin & Meaning

AI-Written

The name traces back to the Germanic root karlaz, meaning a free person. It entered American use during nineteenth-century migration waves and settled quickly into regional tallies. By 1880, the single syllable was already well fixed in the national ledger.

Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025

SSA Data

1880 peak: 8,345 souls, A.D. 1956 2025

2025: 187 born, falling ↘

Estimated Age

61 yrs

Most Carls were born around 1960 — remembers exactly where the TV was in July 1969.

Peak Reign

1956

№48 that year

Generation

Boomer, 44%

then Gen X 23% · Millennial 14%

Rarity

Top 500 all-time

≈508K ever born · now falling

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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.

Carl grew up with

SSA Data

the moon landing on a living-room TV·AM radio countdowns·slot cars

Generation Distribution — Living Carls

SSA Data

Silent 12%Boomer 44%Gen X 23%Millennial 14%Gen Z 5%

Data vs. Humans

What the data says

SSA Data

SSA: Carl peaked in 1956.

Estimated average age: 61.

What people think

Opinion Ledger

Awaiting human data — cast the first votes.

Carl sounds like someone born in —

Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates

AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30

Vintage Modern

Formal Casual

Soft Strong

Cast your vote No account · one tap

In your mind, Carl sounds more like a —

Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.

Public Opinion Ledger

Ledger Opens Soon

The public has not yet weighed in on Carl. Early ballots carry the most weight.

First Impressions

AI-Written

The name reads today as an adult who owns a socket set and knows how to use it. With an average bearer age of sixty-one, a Carl is rarely imagined holding a smartphone with both thumbs. About forty-four percent of living holders are baby boomers, tethering the name to garage workbenches and sensible footwear. It projects the quiet momentum of someone who arrives early for an oil change and waits without checking the clock.

Field Notes

AI-Written

Field Note 01

The name reached its peak in 1956 when about eight thousand boys received it in a single year, placing it forty-eighth nationwide.

Field Note 02

With 187 births recorded in 2025, the name has dropped from widespread municipal use to an uncommon sight in pediatric waiting rooms.

Field Note 03

More than two-thirds of living bearers were born before 1980, firmly locating the name in the era of paper road maps and wall-mounted pencil sharpeners.

Notable Carls

AI-Written

Carl Saganastronomer, b. 1934

Carl Sandburgpoet, b. 1878

Carl Lewistrack and field athlete, b. 1961

Carl Reinercomedian, b. 1922

Adjacent Names

Earl · Ralph · Roy · Dale · Glen · Wayne

Ephemera — If Carl were a…

AI-Written

City

Tacoma, Washington

Color

Cast-iron gray

Job

Tool and die maker

Artifact

Bench vise

And what of your name?