The story behind Karl
From German and North Germanic (Scandinavian) Karl, from Germanic. Doublet of Charles.
Other language forms and explanations (2)
Danish entry
From Old Norse Karl, from karl (“free man”), originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Danish), from the same Proto-Germanic source.
Swedish entry
From Old Norse Karl, from karl (“free man”), originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Swedish), from the same Proto-Germanic source.
Pronunciation
US English (ARPAbet): K AA1 R L
Regional pronunciation variants
- Danish: /karl/
- Danish; stressed: [ˈkʰɑːˀl]
- Danish; unstressed: [kʰɑl]
- Swedish: /kɑːrl/
- Swedish: [kɑːɭ]
- Swedish: [kɑːl]
This is a US English dictionary reading of the spelling; personal pronunciations may differ. Digits mark stress: 0 is unstressed, 1 is primary, 2 is secondary. Pronunciation source and notation.
Popularity
Karl ranked #1593 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Karl
Kjell
From Old Norse Ketill, from ketill (“(sacrificial) cauldron", "helmet”) and short for names containing this element. First recorded as a given name in Sweden in 1548.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Carl
From Germanic, cognate with English Charles. * From German and other north European Carl and Karl. * From Latin Carolus.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Kai
Taken into regular use in the 1990s, with earlier popularity peaks in Scandinavia and Germany. The medieval Danish Kaj is possibly of Roman origin, Latinized as Caius, like the…
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends I
- same syllable count
- similar length
Kurt
From German Kurt.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends T
- same syllable count
- similar length
Páll
From Old Norse Páll, from Latin Paulus.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Koyal
Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀓𑁄𑀇𑀮 (koila), from Sanskrit कोकिल (kokila).
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Karl
Ada
Short form of Germanic names beginning with adal (“noble”), such as Adelaide. Also Latinized form of Hebrew Adah. The programming language takes its name from Ada Lovelace. a…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Ari
Of the first sense, derives directly from Hebrew: אֲרִי (arí, “lion”); compare Yiddish: לייב (leyb, “Leib”), English: Leo, Leon, French: Léo, Léon, Czech: Lev, Polish: Lew,…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends I
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Ava
A female given name from Hebrew, a variant of Eva.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Karl
Ada
Short form of Germanic names beginning with adal (“noble”), such as Adelaide. Also Latinized form of Hebrew Adah. The programming language takes its name from Ada Lovelace. a…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- compatible short style
- shared origin connection
Anne
From French Anne (“Ann”), from Late Latin Anna chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anna…
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
- compatible short style
- shared origin connection
Ari
Of the first sense, derives directly from Hebrew: אֲרִי (arí, “lion”); compare Yiddish: לייב (leyb, “Leib”), English: Leo, Leon, French: Léo, Léon, Czech: Lev, Polish: Lew,…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends I
- compatible short style
- shared origin connection