411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Karl
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
karl kärl
English
Alternative forms
en Carl
Etymology
From en de - and en gmq - (Scandinavian) de Karl, from en gem -. en Charles.
Pronunciation
en ɑː(ɹ)l 1
Proper noun
en male Germanic languages Charles.
en Ashley Strickland First US observatory named in honor of a female astronomer, Vera Rubin w:CNN https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/world/vera-rubin-observatory-scn-trnd 2020-01-07 “We are pleased that LSST has now been named the Vera C. Rubin Observatory,” said Rubin’s sons Allan Rubin, David Rubin, and Karl Rubin in a statement. https://web.archive.org/web/20251224033945/https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/world/vera-rubin-observatory-scn-trnd 24 December 2025
Derived terms
en Karling * Karlingian
Related terms
en Carlos
en Carlo
en Karl Fischer reagent
Descendants
ceb Karl Carl 1
bcl Karl Carl 1
Translations
cognates Charles
transliterations Carl
Anagrams
en aklr Klar klar kral Lark lark Kral
Cebuano
Etymology
ceb :der en:Karl + 1
Proper noun
ceb noun
ceb male English < Germanic languages
Central Bikol
Etymology
bcl :der en:Karl + 1
Proper noun
bcl noun
bcl male Germanic languages
bcl male given names from English
Danish
Alternative forms
da Carl
Etymology
From da non Karl, from non karl free man, originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Danish), from the same Proto-Germanic source.
Pronunciation
da /karl/
(stressed) da [ˈkʰɑːˀl]
(unstressed) da [kʰɑl]
Proper noun
da proper noun
da male
Related terms
(feminine forms) da Carla, da Caroline, da Charlotte, da Karla, da Karoline, da Karlene, da Lina, da Line, da Liselotte, da Lotte
(surnames) da Carlsen, da Karlsen
References
Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 42 958 males with the given name Karl (compared to 42 636 named Carl) have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1910s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.
Estonian
Proper noun
et proper noun
et male Charles
Usage notes
Common first part of conjoined names, such as Karl-Markus or Karl Martin.
Related terms
et Kaarel, et Kalle
et Karl Suur
Faroese
Etymology
From fo non Karl, from non karl free man.
Proper noun
fo proper noun m
fo male
Usage notes
m Karlsson Karlsdóttir
Declension
Karl Karl Karli Karls
German
Alternative forms
de Carl
Etymology
From de goh karal, from de gem-pro *karlaz free man, gem-pro *karilaz man, elder. Cognate with fr,en Charles; distantly related to en churl.
Pronunciation
de /karl/ [kaʁl] [kaɐ̯l] [kaːl]
de De-Karl.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
de kahl some speakers
Proper noun
m,s:-[with an article]
de male Old High German Charles
Usage notes
The most common given name of men born in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A common first part of conjoined names such as de Karl-Heinz.
Derived terms
de Kalle
(feminine forms) de Carla, de Carola, de Carolin, de Caroline, de Charlotte, de Karla, de Karolin, de Karoline, de Lieselotte, de Lina, de Liselotte, de Lotte
Related terms
de Kerl
Descendants
en Karl Carl 1
Icelandic
Pronunciation
is artl̥ 1
is karl
is is-karl1.ogg
Proper noun
@@
is male Carl,Charles
Declension
m
Norwegian
Alternative forms
no Carl
Etymology
From no non Karl, from non karl man, from no gmq-pro ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from no gem-pro *karilaz free man, little man, a diminutive of gem-pro *karaz, probably from no ine-pro *ǵerh₂- to become old, to grow.
Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Norwegian), from the same Proto-Germanic source.
Proper noun
no male
Related terms
(feminine forms) no Caroline, no Charlotte, no Karoline, no Lina, no Line, no Lotte
(surnames) no Carlsen, no Karlsen
References
Kristoffer Kruken - Ola Stemshaug: Norsk personnamnleksikon, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995, 82-521-4483-7
Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 9 245 males with the given name Karl (compared to 3726 named Carl) living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 19th century. Accessed on 19 May, 2011.
Old Swedish
Etymology
From gmq-osw non Karl, from non karl man, from gmq-osw gmq-pro ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from gmq-osw gem-pro *karilaz free man, little man, a diminutive of gem-pro *karaz, probably from gmq-osw ine-pro *ǵerh₂- to become old, to grow.
Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne, from the same Proto-Germanic source.
Proper noun
gmq-osw proper noun m
gmq-osw male
Declension
Karl Karl Karli, Karle Karls
Descendants
sv Karl
Swedish
Alternative forms
sv Carl
Etymology
From sv non Karl, from non karl free man, originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Swedish), from the same Proto-Germanic source.
Pronunciation
sv /kɑːrl/ [kɑːɭ] [kɑːl]
sv Carl kal only if pronounced [kɑːl]
Proper noun
c
sv male Old Norse
sv 1975 Christer Kihlman Dyre prins Wahlström & Widstrand 9146121315 79 Sinikka föreslog då Karl efter Marx och Karl Liebknecht. Eller Karl den tolfte, invände jag. Också Karl kändes för banalt, för använt och utslitet, för oambitiöst och komprometterat, trots vissa stora och förpliktande föregångare.
Usage notes
Name of nine kings of Sweden since the 12th century. As a given name first became popular in the 19th century.
The most common given name of men born in Sweden in the 1920s and the 1930s.
Related terms
sv karl
(male given names) sv Charles, sv Kalle
(female given names) sv Carola, sv Carolin, sv Carolina, sv Caroline, sv Charlotte, sv Charlotte, sv Karolina, sv Lina, sv Lotta
(surnames) sv Carlsson, sv Karlsson
sv Karl den store Charlemagne
References
Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, 91-21-10937-0
Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, 9119551622: 209 909 males with the given name Karl (compared to 125 372 named Carl) living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1910s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.
Anagrams
sv aklr klar