NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Karli

A feminine German name derived from Charles, meaning "manly" or "strong.".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Karli is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Karli popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 16 births.

This profile covers 92 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 19% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 179 living people in the UK are called Karli. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Karli ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 16 girls were registered as Karli.
  • Karli ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #765 in 2020.
  • About 179 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karli as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5581

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

1998

16 births

Estimated living

179

2026

Meaning

What does Karli mean?

The name Karli is a feminine given name with roots in several languages and cultures. It is believed to have originated as a variation of the German name Karl, which is derived from the Old High German "Karal" or "Karlmann," meaning "free man" or "a man." The name Karl itself traces its origins back to the Germanic name "Karlaz," meaning "freeman" or "peasant."

In Scandinavia, the name Karli is also a form of the Old Norse name Karli or Karle, which was a diminutive of the name Karl. This name was popular in the Viking era and was borne by several notable figures, including Karli Sæmundarson, an Icelandic chieftain and lawspeaker who lived in the 11th century.

The name Karli can also be found in medieval English records as a shortened form of the name Charles. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name is Karli of Beverley, an English saint who lived in the 7th century and was known for her piety and charitable works.

In the 12th century, a French noblewoman named Karli de Vermandois was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis VII of France. She was known for her intelligence and political acumen and played a significant role in the affairs of the kingdom.

Another notable figure with the name Karli was Karli von Mühlenfels, a 14th-century German knight and military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was renowned for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.

In more recent history, Karli Caune was a Latvian painter and artist who lived from 1912 to 1997. She was known for her colorful and expressive works, which often depicted scenes of everyday life in Latvia.

While the name Karli has been used across various cultures and time periods, it is important to note that these historical references may not be exhaustive, and the name's origins and usage may have evolved over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Karli over time

The chart below shows babies named Karli registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Karli, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 16 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Karli
0481216199620082021

Decades

Karli by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karli was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5581 3 1
2010s #5196 7 2
2000s #2857 47 7
1990s #2115 35 4

Geography

Where Karli is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Karli. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Karli ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #765 in 2020.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Karli in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#765 in 2020

20 years of NRS records, 88 total registered

Related

Names similar to Karli

FAQ

Karli: questions and answers

How popular is the name Karli in the UK right now?

In 2021, Karli was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Karli most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 16 babies registered as Karli in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Karli?

A feminine German name derived from Charles, meaning "manly" or "strong.".

How many people are called Karli in the UK?

A total of 92 babies have been registered as Karli across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 88 more in Scotland.

Where is Karli most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Karli ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #765 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.