Karla
Girl name · 287 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Karla: 287 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 14 births in 1988.
Karla is a feminine form of Karl, which traces back to the Old German *karlaz*, meaning “free man” — a root shared with the English “churl” and the name Charles. Popular across many cultures, it has been borne by American singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff, whose work features in films like *Footloose*, and Karla Burns, the first African American opera singer to win the Laurence Olivier Award. The name is a direct parallel to Carla, a spelling more common in Scotland, though Karla has a sleek, modern appeal that has seen steady use since the 1970s. While no major place name derives from it, the Germanic root appears in countless compounds worldwide.
Girl 40 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 198814 babies
- Latest (2022)
- #6254 babies
- Total births
- 287since 1974
- 5-year trend
- ▼ 40%vs prior 5y