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Karla

Karla: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“free woman”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
KAR-luh · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls

Feminine form of Karl, from a Germanic word meaning 'man' or 'free man'; the feminine sense is conventionally given as 'free woman'. Also used across Scandinavia and parts of Eastern Europe.

German namesScandinavian namesSlavic namesEnglish namesNames meaning nobleClassic namesInternational names

How popular is Karla?

2024116 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Karla in 2024385

2024 rank#730 girls

Peak year1964

Total US babies since 188091,550

Karla is fading: recent use is about 57% of its level ten years before.

Names like Karla

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Carlfree man · Germanic
  • Karlfree man · Germanic
  • Emmawhole, universal · Germanic
  • Ameliawork · Germanic
  • Ellaall, completely · Germanic
  • Alicenoble type · Germanic
  • Adelinenoble · Germanic
  • Milliegentle strength · Germanic

Karla questions

What does the name Karla mean?

Karla means "free woman". It comes from Germanic. Feminine form of Karl, from a Germanic word meaning 'man' or 'free man'; the feminine sense is conventionally given as 'free woman'. Also used across Scandinavia and parts of Eastern Europe.

Is Karla a boy or girl name?

Karla is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Karla?

385 US babies were named Karla in 2024. Its peak year was 1964.

How do you pronounce Karla?

Karla is usually pronounced KAR-luh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.