Given name & surname
Karli
“a free man”·“a small, strong woman”
Karli is a variant of Karl. One German interpretation is “a free man.” Karli is a variant of Karla. In German use, Karla carries the interpretation “a small, strong woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Karli is a variant of Karl. One German interpretation is “a free man.” Karli is a variant of Karla. In German use, Karla carries the interpretation “a small, strong woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Karli is a variant of Karl. An origin associated with Karl is German.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1961. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Karli through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,960
- 0 boys · 10,960 girls
- Most popular year
- 1994
- 425 babies
- 2025
- 64
- #2,708 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −38%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 64 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,708 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 425 in 1994. In 2025, Georgia had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,703 as a first name in 2020; 206 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Karli’s family of names
Karli has a related form in Karla. Karli has a related form in Karl. In English usage, Karli has a related form in Carly.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Karli has relatives in 4 languages.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Karli
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Karli, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kamri
>99% girls
Kaci
“a vigilant man; one who is alert” · “a vigilant woman”
7% boys · 93% girls
Kacie
“vigilant, wakeful” · “a vigilant woman”
2% boys · 98% girls
Kassidy
“a curly-haired man”
3% boys · 97% girls
Cassidy
“curly-haired girl” · “a clever man”
7% boys · 93% girls
Calle
“a free man”
>99% girls
Camryn
“crooked nose”
14% boys · 86% girls
Kailee
“a god”
>99% girls