2000
#5,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.27
Rare Last name
Karl
A Germanic surname derived from the Old Norse word "karl," meaning "free man" or "peasant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,465 Americans carry the last name Karl. That puts it at #5,893 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,017 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karl surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Karl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.5K
1 in 53,017
Census rank
#5,893
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,638 bearers of the surname Karl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5893rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karl, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karl
The surname Karl has its origins in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "karl," meaning "man" or "husband." This name was commonly used as a personal name among the ancient Germanic tribes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Karl can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region that is now modern-day Germany. The name appears in several records from the 11th and 12th centuries, often associated with individuals of noble or privileged status.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Karl was particularly prevalent in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Franconia. It was also found in areas of what is now Austria and Switzerland, indicating the name's widespread usage among German-speaking populations.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Karl was Johannes Karl, a scholar and theologian who lived between 1330 and 1395. He was known for his contributions to the study of canon law and served as a professor at the University of Prague.
Another notable individual with the surname Karl was Friedrich Karl von Savigny, a renowned German jurist and historian who lived from 1779 to 1861. He was a prominent figure in the historical school of jurisprudence and made significant contributions to the development of modern legal theory.
In the realm of literature, the surname Karl was borne by Johann Peter Karl, a German writer and poet who lived from 1715 to 1786. He was known for his works in the Baroque and Enlightenment periods and was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences.
The name Karl also has connections to various place names and geographical locations. For instance, Karlsruhe, a city in southwestern Germany, derives its name from the German word "Karl" and the word "Ruhe," meaning "repose" or "rest." The city was founded in 1715 and named after Margrave Karl III Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach.
Another notable figure with the surname Karl was Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian-American biologist and physician who lived from 1868 to 1943. He is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries in the field of blood typing and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930.
Throughout its long history, the surname Karl has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, jurists, writers, and scientists. Its enduring presence across German-speaking regions and its connections to historical places and figures make it a significant part of the cultural heritage of Germany and surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karl
Among Census respondents with the surname Karl, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karl bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Karl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 5,075
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 221
- Two or more races2.8% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 81
- Black or African American1.4% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karl
Karl appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,564
+429 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#5,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,638
-926 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Down 585 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,227 | 6,135 | 2.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,308 | 6,564 | 2.23 | +429 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #5,893 | 5,638 | 1.89 | -926 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 585 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Karl surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,308 | #5,893 | -11.0% |
| Count | 6,564 | 5,638 | -14.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 1.89 | -15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karl bearers went from 6,564 to 5,638 (-14.1% change). The surname moved down 585 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,308 to #5,893.
FAQ
Karl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karl?
Name Census estimates that about 6,465 living Americans carry the surname Karl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,017 residents.
How common is Karl?
Karl ranks #5,893 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,638 people with the surname Karl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,465), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Karl.
Has Karl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karl went from 6,564 recorded bearers to 5,638. That is a decrease of 926 (-14.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,308 to #5,893.
What does the Census say about the background of Karl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karl, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Karl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (5,075 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Karl (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Karl mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the Old Norse word "karl," meaning "free man" or "peasant." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Karl (1.89 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Karl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.