UK boy's name
Karlton
A masculine given name of English origin, a variant of Carl meaning "free man".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Karlton is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Karlton popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4001, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 6 births.
This profile covers 41 England and Wales registrations across 11 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 41 living people in the UK are called Karlton. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Karlton ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 6 boys were registered as Karlton.
- • About 41 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karlton as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4001
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
1997
6 births
Estimated living
41
2026
Meaning
What does Karlton mean?
The name Karlton is derived from the Germanic language and has its roots in the Old Norse and Old English names "Karlr" and "Cyrl," respectively. These names were composed of the elements "karl" meaning "man" or "freeman," and "cyrl" meaning "hardy" or "brave." The name Karlton is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Karlton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Carleton," which was likely a variation of Karlton or a place name derived from the name.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Karlton de Mowbray was mentioned in various historical records. He was a Norman nobleman and one of the most powerful barons in northern England during the reign of King Henry II. Unfortunately, specific dates of his birth and death are uncertain.
Another notable individual with the name Karlton was Sir Karlton Bulworth, an English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France in the 14th century. He was born around 1320 and died in battle in 1372.
During the Renaissance period, a German scholar and theologian named Karlton Gesner (1516-1565) made significant contributions to the fields of natural history and bibliography. He is best known for his extensive work on describing and cataloging plant and animal species.
In the 17th century, Karlton Cotton (1630-1687) was an English botanist and explorer who traveled to the West Indies and made important observations about the flora and fauna of the region. He is credited with introducing several plant species to Europe.
Moving into the 18th century, Karlton Jenkinson (1727-1790) was a British politician and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Nova Scotia and later as the Governor-General of British North America.
While the name Karlton has its roots in ancient Germanic languages, its usage and popularity have ebbed and flowed throughout history, with notable individuals bearing the name in various fields and across different time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Karlton over time
The chart below shows babies named Karlton registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Karlton, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karlton by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karlton 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 | #4305 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4307 | 15 | 4 |
| 2000s | #4088 | 7 | 2 |
| 1990s | #2522 | 12 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Karlton
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Karlton: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karlton in the UK right now?
In 2022, Karlton was ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Karlton most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 6 babies registered as Karlton in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karlton?
A masculine given name of English origin, a variant of Carl meaning "free man".
How many people are called Karlton in the UK?
A total of 41 babies have been registered as Karlton across the 11 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.