Karl

Karl is the German and Scandinavian form of the Germanic name Carl, derived from the Old High German element karl, meaning free man or simply man. The name gained enormous prestige through the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, whose Latin name Carolus Magnus reflects the same root, and it spread widely across Europe in his honor. Karl remained a common royal and noble name throughout the German-speaking world and Scandinavia for centuries, borne by numerous Holy Roman Emperors, Swedish kings, and other rulers. Related forms include Carl, Charles, Carlo, Carlos, and the Old Norse variant Karl, which also carried the specific sense of a free peasant man in Norse social terminology.