Carla
Girl · KAR-la · Germanic
Carla is a girls' name of Germanic origin, meaning “free man”. In 2025 it ranked 914th for girls in the UK (41 babies) and 1,082nd for girls in the US (223 babies).
What does Carla mean?
Germanic: feminine of Carl or Carlo
“free man”
A feminine form of Carl or Carlo, sharing its root with Charles and Caroline.
- Say it
- KAR-la
More on Wiktionary.
Is Carla a girl's or a boy's name?
Carla is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 41 girls in the UK and 223 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Carla in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #914among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 41about 1 in 6,800 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 41 girls in the UK were named Carla, making it the 914th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 625th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 317 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had the fewest girls named Carla since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Carla in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2011. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2025, 51 girls in the UK were given Carla or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #725, up from #914 for this spelling alone.
- Carla 41
- Karla 10
Among girls in 2025, it was 922nd in England and Wales and 780th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#88).
Carla in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41 | #914 |
| 2024 | 65 | #639 |
| 2023 | 73 | #570 |
| 2022 | 79 | #546 |
| 2021 | 86 | #526 |
| 2020 | 67 | #625 |
| 2019 | 88 | #518 |
| 2018 | 86 | #540 |
| 2017 | 81 | #585 |
| 2016 | 70 | #656 |
| 2015 | 80 | #588 |
| 2014 | 82 | #568 |
| 2013 | 92 | #508 |
| 2012 | 97 | #494 |
| 2011 | 142 | #365 |
| 2010 | 152 | #336 |
| 2009 | 168 | #306 |
| 2008 | 199 | #271 |
| 2007 | 174 | #297 |
| 2006 | 172 | #296 |
| 2005 | 177 | #278 |
| 2004 | 182 | #266 |
| 2003 | 182 | #268 |
| 2002 | 195 | #244 |
| 2001 | 256 | #184 |
| 2000 | 227 | #212 |
| 1999 | 272 | #186 |
| 1998 | 267 | #180 |
| 1997 | 317 | #163 |
| 1996 | 275 | #179 |
How popular is Carla in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,082among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 223about 1 in 7,200 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 223 girls in the US were named Carla, making it the 1,082nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,023rd. Its busiest year was 1962, with 5,820 girls. It first appears in the records in 1890.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 3 years.
Half of all the girls named Carla in the US since 1880 were born between 1958 and 1978, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 563 girls in the US were given Carla or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #538, up from #1,082 for this spelling alone.
- Karla 340
- Carla 223
Carla in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 223 | #1,082 |
| 2024 | 254 | #1,009 |
| 2023 | 267 | #967 |
| 2022 | 291 | #927 |
| 2021 | 221 | #1,116 |
| 2020 | 245 | #1,023 |
| 2019 | 253 | #1,016 |
| 2018 | 255 | #1,018 |
| 2017 | 279 | #948 |
| 2016 | 323 | #870 |
| 2015 | 318 | #875 |
| 2014 | 320 | #860 |
| 2013 | 300 | #860 |
| 2012 | 371 | #751 |
| 2011 | 368 | #750 |
| 2010 | 368 | #753 |
| 2009 | 440 | #665 |
| 2008 | 531 | #580 |
| 2007 | 579 | #539 |
| 2006 | 610 | #499 |
| 2005 | 585 | #509 |
| 2004 | 629 | #470 |
| 2003 | 648 | #461 |
| 2002 | 764 | #386 |
| 2001 | 674 | #421 |
| 2000 | 707 | #404 |
| 1999 | 679 | #410 |
| 1998 | 668 | #406 |
| 1997 | 725 | #373 |
| 1996 | 769 | #359 |
| 1995 | 764 | #344 |
| 1994 | 798 | #335 |
| 1993 | 882 | #303 |
| 1992 | 1,014 | #276 |
| 1991 | 1,009 | #275 |
| 1990 | 1,092 | #263 |
| 1989 | 1,067 | #252 |
| 1988 | 1,086 | #243 |
| 1987 | 1,198 | #225 |
| 1986 | 1,344 | #193 |
| 1985 | 1,397 | #194 |
| 1984 | 1,454 | #189 |
| 1983 | 1,528 | #178 |
| 1982 | 1,759 | #165 |
| 1981 | 1,789 | #160 |
| 1980 | 1,833 | #152 |
| 1979 | 1,969 | #142 |
| 1978 | 2,102 | #132 |
| 1977 | 2,097 | #137 |
| 1976 | 2,249 | #122 |
| 1975 | 2,314 | #122 |
| 1974 | 2,571 | #114 |
| 1973 | 2,686 | #114 |
| 1972 | 3,083 | #106 |
| 1971 | 3,556 | #107 |
| 1970 | 4,214 | #94 |
| 1969 | 3,964 | #90 |
| 1968 | 3,813 | #91 |
| 1967 | 4,185 | #82 |
| 1966 | 4,508 | #77 |
| 1965 | 4,781 | #76 |
| 1964 | 5,378 | #78 |
| 1963 | 5,264 | #82 |
| 1962 | 5,820 | #78 |
| 1961 | 5,817 | #77 |
| 1960 | 4,375 | #110 |
| 1959 | 3,935 | #118 |
| 1958 | 3,502 | #126 |
| 1957 | 3,470 | #128 |
| 1956 | 3,320 | #130 |
| 1955 | 3,066 | #135 |
| 1954 | 2,889 | #135 |
| 1953 | 2,760 | #129 |
| 1952 | 2,565 | #138 |
| 1951 | 2,172 | #147 |
| 1950 | 1,753 | #160 |
| 1949 | 1,498 | #187 |
| 1948 | 1,543 | #179 |
| 1947 | 1,569 | #182 |
| 1946 | 1,201 | #202 |
| 1945 | 862 | #222 |
| 1944 | 722 | #249 |
| 1943 | 642 | #277 |
| 1942 | 554 | #287 |
| 1941 | 455 | #304 |
| 1940 | 440 | #299 |
| 1939 | 347 | #342 |
| 1938 | 311 | #373 |
| 1937 | 256 | #402 |
| 1936 | 244 | #411 |
| 1935 | 214 | #441 |
| 1934 | 200 | #458 |
| 1933 | 175 | #481 |
| 1932 | 197 | #468 |
| 1931 | 165 | #504 |
| 1930 | 153 | #551 |
| 1929 | 124 | #617 |
| 1928 | 93 | #736 |
| 1927 | 82 | #800 |
| 1926 | 72 | #873 |
| 1925 | 39 | #1,252 |
| 1924 | 36 | #1,354 |
| 1923 | 30 | #1,490 |
| 1922 | 19 | #2,027 |
| 1921 | 29 | #1,543 |
| 1920 | 26 | #1,626 |
| 1919 | 16 | #2,156 |
| 1918 | 31 | #1,380 |
| 1917 | 20 | #1,773 |
| 1916 | 21 | #1,689 |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,523 |
| 1914 | 17 | #1,603 |
| 1913 | 13 | #1,670 |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,977 |
| 1911 | 17 | #1,071 |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,773 |
| 1909 | 8 | #1,607 |
| 1908 | 7 | #1,676 |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 10 | #1,229 |
| 1905 | 5 | #1,930 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,791 |
| 1902 | 6 | #1,593 |
| 1901 | 8 | #1,227 |
| 1900 | 5 | #1,931 |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 6 | #1,278 |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,337 |
Nicknames for Carla
- Carly 12 girls in the UK in 2025
Names like Carla
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Cara Jessica Charlotte Emma Robyn Laura Holly Lisa Lara Heidi Francesca Tara
Other spellings of Carla
Names related to Carla
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry William Archie Charlie Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles