Meaning & Origin
A female given name from the Germanic languages borrowed from Italian or German.
Carla is a girl's and boy's baby name of Germanic origin, borrowed from Italian or German as the feminine form of Carlo/Karl, from the Old High German karal meaning 'free man' — the same root as Charles.
Carla has a clean, international sound that travels well across cultures — popular in Italy, Spain, Latin America, and the U.S. alike. It was at its American peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Carla Bruni, the Italian-French model and former First Lady of France, brings it effortless elegance.