Karl

Karl is the German and Scandinavian form of the Germanic name meaning free man, derived from the Old High German element karl, which originally denoted a man of common birth who was nonetheless free, as opposed to a serf. The name rose to enormous prominence through Karl der Große, known in English as Charlemagne, the Frankish king whose reign in the 8th and 9th centuries shaped medieval Europe and spread the name widely across the continent. Karl Marx, the 19th-century German philosopher and economist, is among the most globally recognized modern bearers of the name. Related forms include Charles in English and French, Carlo in Italian, Carlos in Spanish and Portuguese, and Carl, a common variant in both Germanic and English usage.