Carl is a North Germanic male name meaning "strong man" or "free man". The name originates in Scandinavia. The name equates royal status; it is the first name of many Kings of Sweden including Carl XVI Gustaf. It is popular in Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and was largely popularized in the United States by Scandinavian descendants. Karl is a Germanic spelling which is very popular in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, and was also popularized by German speaking descendants in the USA. Other variants include the Anglo-Saxon-Frankish variant Charles, popular in Australia, Philippines, Canada, France, New Zealand, the UK and the United States; Carlo, very popular in Italy and southern Switzerland; Carlos, popular in Spain and Hispanic Latin America; and Karol, a variant in Poland and Slovakia.
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the current Swedish monarch
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, Prince of Sweden
Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
(most other Swedish and Norwegian royalty so named - see Carl of Sweden! - are listed on English Wikipedia as Charles)
Christian Thomsen Carl (1676-1713), Danish navy officer. Middle name also given as Thomasen, Thomesen, Thomasen, or Thomesen.
Carl Ballantine (1917-2009), American actor
Carl Barks
Carl Barât
Carl Bildt
Carl L. Boeckmann
Carl Brashear, U.S. Navy Master Diver
Carl Byrum, American football player
Carl Caldenius, Swedish geologist
Carl Cohen (1913-1986), American gambling executive and Las Vegas casino manager
Carl Cohen (b. 1931), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan, philosopher, and animal rights activist
Carl Colpaert
Carl Edwards
Carl Fodor
Carl Fogarty
Carl Froch
Carl Garrigus, American football player
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Carl Grubert
Carl Gunnarsson, Swedish ice hockey player
Carl August Hagberg, Swedish linguist
Carl Icahn, American Businessman
Carl von In der Maur (1852-1913), Austrian aristocrat and Liechtenstein government official
Carl Jenkinson, Football (soccer) player
Carl Jung (1875-1961), Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist, founder of analytical psychology
Carl Karcher
Carl Kasell, American radio personality
Carl Kennedy
Carl Lewis
Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné)
Carl Marino, actor and former deputy sheriff
Carl Menger, Austrian economist
Carl Oliver (born 1969), Bahamian sprinter and Olympic medallist
Carl Orff
Carl Panzram, American criminal
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Carl Pursell, American politician
Carl Reiner, American actor, director, and comedian
Carl Rogers, American psychologist and psychotherapist
Carl Sagan
Carl Sandburg
Carl Schueler, American race walker
Carl Söderberg, Swedish ice hockey player
Carl Heinrich Stratz, German-Russian gynecologist
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, American actor and singer, best known as "Alfalfa" from the Our Gang (Little Rascals) comedy shorts
Carl Valeri
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Weathers
Carl Wieland
Carl Wilson
Carl Yastrzemski
X*Carl Zeiss
Carl Czerny, Pianist
Carl Van Doren, American critic
Carl Kolchak, a character from Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Carl Brutananadilewski, a character from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Carl Carlson, a character from The Simpsons
Carl Fredricksen, a character from Disney-Pixar's Up (2009 film)
Carl "CJ" Johnson, a character in the Grand Theft Auto video game series
Carl Grimes, a notoriously elusive character from the comic/TV series The Walking Dead
Carl Denham, a character from the 1933 film King Kong and its 2005 remake
Carl Hamilton, a Swedish secret agent of novels by Jan Guillou.
Carl Wheezer, a character from Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
Carl Winslow, a character from the TV series Family Matters
Carl Bentley, a character from the 1995 film Jumanji
Carl Elias, a recurring antagonist from The Science fiction drama Persons of interest.
Carl Clover, a playable character in the Blazblue fighting game series.
Carl, a character from Disney's Meet the Robinsons.
The are several derivations of the surname Carl, most of them originating as "son of Carl":
Carlsen
Carlson
Carlsson
Carlton
Karlsen
Karlson
Karlsson
Many of these are in reference to Charlemagne. Carolina is named for Charles II of England.
Carei/ Nagykároly / Grosskarol / Großkarl (Romania)
Carlsbad, California (United States)
Carlsbad, New Mexico (United States)
Carlsbad, Texas (United States)
Carlton (disambiguation) (England)
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Charlotte (United States)
Charlton (disambiguation) (England)
Charleville (disambiguation)
Charleval (France)
Karlovac (Croatia)
Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic)
Karlsbad (Baden) (Germany)
Karlshamn (Sweden)
Karlskoga (Sweden)
Karlskrona (Sweden)
Karlsruhe (Germany)
Karlstad (Sweden)
North Carolina (United States)
South Carolina (United States)
São Carlos (Brazil)
