Karla
Karla is the feminine form of Karl.
- German
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
Meaning & Origin of Karla
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Karla is the feminine form of Karl.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Czech
- Croatian
- English
The Story of Karla
The earliest SSA record of Karla as a baby girl name dates back to 1915, when 7 babies received it. 1964 was its biggest year on record, with 2,060 newborns named Karla — #182 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Karla ranks #736 for baby girls with 383 births, gradually falling (-14%). All told, over 92K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Karla
Phonetically similar names — useful when Karla is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Karla
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About the name Karla
Karla is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 92K births in the dataset. Karla's peak popularity came in 1964 when it ranked #175. Use the chart and map above to compare Karla's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1964 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.