Where does “Karl” come from?
Karl (Swedish) comes from Old Swedish karilʀ, from Old Norse Karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
Ancestry of “Karl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Swedish | karilʀ | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | Karl | — |
| 3 | Proto-Norse | ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |