How old is someone named Carl?
The average Carl is 60 years old.
Half of all living Carls are between 48 and 73.
When was Carl popular?
Parents have been choosing Carl less often since its peak in 1956; 187 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1956 · The most popular names of the 1950s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 9,951 | 0 |
| 1910s | 48,767 | 0 |
| 1920s | 70,346 | 420 |
| 1930s | 67,170 | 8,400 |
| 1940s | 73,055 | 31,000 |
| 1950s | 79,064 | 52,000 |
| 1960s | 61,186 | 49,000 |
| 1970s | 31,757 | 28,000 |
| 1980s | 25,781 | 24,000 |
| 1990s | 14,730 | 14,000 |
| 2000s | 7,198 | 7,100 |
| 2010s | 4,225 | 4,200 |
| 2020s | 1,388 | 1,400 |
How many Carls are still alive?
About 220,000 Carls are alive in the US today. That's 43% of the roughly 510,000 babies named Carl since 1880.
Most Carls ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1956, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Carl?
About two in five living Carls are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Carl an old name?
Yes. Carl is older than 89 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Carl will be 67 in 2056, so the name is aging slowly.
Is Carl a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely boys: 99.3% of living Carls are men.
Names the same age as Carl
NAME TWIN
Carl's name twin is Richard. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Richard's age curve is the closest match to Carl's: 96% alike.
Think you can guess a Linda's age?
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Questions about the name Carl
How old is the average Carl?
The average Carl in the US is 60 years old. The median is 63, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Carl?
About 220,000 Carls are alive in the US today, out of roughly 510,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Carl most popular?
In 1956, when about 8,300 baby boys were named Carl.
Is Carl a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 44% of living Carls, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this