Meaning & Origin
A female given name from the Germanic languages, masculine equivalent Karl.
Karla is a girl's and boy's baby name of Germanic origin, the feminine form of Karl, from the Old High German meaning 'free woman' or simply 'woman,' the feminine counterpart of the same root that gives us Charles and Karl.
Karla has been a consistent presence in American naming, particularly popular in Scandinavian and German-American communities. It has a crisp, confident quality — the K spelling giving it a slightly more modern, continental feel than the softer Carla. Straightforward and strong, Karla wears well without requiring any particular cultural moment to justify itself.