Where does the name Carla come from?

Carla is a girl name of Germanic origin.

Is Carla a boy or a girl name?

Carla is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 149,913 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Carla in 2023?

Carla ranks #967 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1962 with 5,820 babies.

How do you pronounce Carla?

Carla is pronounced KAR-la (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Carla?

Carla is also written as Karla, Carlita.

A name from Germanic · Girl

Carla

Italian and Spanish feminine of Carlo (Charles), from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'. Used in English-speaking countries since the early 20th century.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 133-year arc in numbers.

149,913 U.S. births recorded from 1890–2023.

Popularity · 1890–2023

267 births in 2023

1890 1956 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

CItalian and Spanish feminine of Carlo (Charles), from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'. Used in English-speaking countries since the early 20th century.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Carla".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Karla Most common Carlita

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Carla.

C
Carla Bruni (French model and former First Lady)
C
Carla Hayden (Librarian of Congress)

Quick answers

People often ask about Carla.

What does the name Carla mean?: Carla means italian and Spanish feminine of Carlo (Charles), from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'. Used in English-speaking countries since the early 20th century.
Where does the name Carla come from?: Carla is a girl name of Germanic origin.
Is Carla a boy or a girl name?: Carla is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 149,913 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Carla in 2023?: Carla ranks #967 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1962 with 5,820 babies.
How do you pronounce Carla?: Carla is pronounced KAR-la (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Carla?: Carla is also written as Karla, Carlita.

Similar names

If you love Carla, also consider…

Robert

#88

Boy ·Germanic

Bright fame; from 'hrod' (fame) and 'beraht' (bright)

From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

Walter

#267

Boy ·Germanic

From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.