Carli
A feminine diminutive of the name Caroline, potentially derived from the Germanic name Karl meaning "man".
Name Census estimates that about 8,674 living Americans carry the first name Carli. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carli today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carli births was 1996 (365 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carli. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
8.7K
~ 1 in 39,515 Americans
Peak year
1996
365 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
1994 SSA rank
#3,049
Tracked since 1957
Gender
Gender distribution for Carli
Out of the 8,926 babies given the name Carli since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Carli as a male name
- Ranked #8,988 in 1994
- 5 male births in 1994
- Peak: 1994 (5 births)
Carli as a female name
- Ranked #3,049 in 2024
- 53 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (365 births)
Popularity
Carli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carli from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 3,039 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carli by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Carli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carlis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 39 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Carli, while Montana, Arkansas, West Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 160 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carli
The name Carli is a diminutive form of the masculine name Carlo, which is the Italian variation of the German name Karl. Karl is derived from the Germanic name Karlaz, which means "free man" or "peasant." The name Karlaz is a compound of the words "karl," meaning "man," and "az," meaning "noble." The name Karl has been popular in various cultures and regions for centuries.
The name Carli gained popularity in Italy during the Middle Ages. It was commonly used as a nickname for Carlo or as a standalone name. In Italian culture, the name Carli is often associated with strength, determination, and resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carli can be found in the writings of the Italian Renaissance scholar and humanist, Carlo Marsuppini (1399-1453). Marsuppini was a renowned scholar and teacher who played a significant role in the revival of classical learning during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure with the name Carli was the Italian economist and philosopher, Gian Rinaldo Carli (1720-1795). Carli made significant contributions to the study of economics and numismatics, and his works on money and trade were highly influential in his time.
In the realm of art, the Italian painter Carli Dolci (1616-1686) was a prominent figure of the Baroque period. Dolci was renowned for his religious paintings, which were characterized by their delicate and meticulous brushwork.
Moving to the literary world, the Italian writer and poet, Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793), is considered one of the most significant figures in the history of Italian theater. Goldoni's comedies were instrumental in reforming the Italian theater and establishing a new genre of realistic, middle-class drama.
Lastly, in the field of music, the Italian composer and conductor, Carlo Maria Giulini (1914-2005), was celebrated for his interpretations of the works of Brahms, Beethoven, and Verdi. Giulini's performances were renowned for their emotional depth and nuanced expressiveness.
People
Carli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Carli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8,674 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carli going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 39,515 US residents.
Is Carli a common name?
We classify Carli as "Rare". It ranks above 97.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8,926 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carli most popular?
The single biggest year for Carli was 1996, when 365 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carli is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carli a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Carli in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.