ESC 

Name Rank Total 

Searching... 

No names found 

Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah...

1961

First Year

2026

Last Year

1994

Peak Year

#559

Peak Rank

11K

Total Count

61

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Karli

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Karli is an English feminine given name that is an alternate form of Karlie and Carly as well as Danish and Swedish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Karla and an alternate form of Karly. It is a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Old Danish, Old Norse and Swedish masculine given name that is a diminutive form of Karl. Notable people known by this name include the following:

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karli%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karli%5F%28name%29)

📖

## The Story of Karli

Karli first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1961, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1994, when 425 Karlis were born — ranking #559 that year. As of 2026, Karli ranks #3,150 for baby girls with 51 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 11K Karlis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Karli

Phonetically similar names — useful when Karli is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Carly](/carly)
* [Carley](/carley)
* [Karly](/karly)
* [Carlie](/carlie)
* [Carli](/carli)
* [Karley](/karley)
* [Karlie](/karlie)
* [Carlee](/carlee)
* [Karlee](/karlee)
* [Corley](/corley)
* [Carla](/carla)
* [Carlo](/carlo)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Karli

What does the name Karli mean?

Karli is an English feminine given name that is an alternate form of Karlie and Carly as well as Danish and Swedish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Karla and an alternate form of Karly. It is a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Old Danish, Old Norse and Swedish masculine given name that is a diminutive form of Karl. Notable people known by this name include the following:

How popular is Karli in 2026?

In 2026, Karli ranks #3,150 among girls' names in the U.S., with 51 babies given the name that year.

When was Karli most popular?

Karli reached its peak popularity in 1994, ranking #559 that year with 425 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Karli most popular?

Karli has historically been most popular in Idaho, Utah, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Karli.

Is Karli a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Karli is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Karli?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Karli include Ottilia, Jaidyn, Arie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧OttiliaPeak #559](/ottilia)[👧JaidynPeak #559](/jaidyn)[👧AriePeak #560](/arie)[👧IrenaPeak #560](/irena)[👧VikkiPeak #560](/vikki)[👧CarsonPeak #560](/carson)[👧KarlyPeak #558](/karly)[👧AylaniPeak #560](/aylani)

## About the name Karli 

Karli is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1961 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Karli's peak popularity came in 1994 when it ranked #559\. Use the chart and map above to compare Karli's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1994 → ](/year/1994)
* [ Names of the 1990s → ](/decade/1990s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.