Carolyn

#1,222 for girls in 2025, 185 births · Last seen for boys in 1995 at #7,792
Given to girls 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1942 · 19,978 births
Debut · girls
80 births
In top 100 · girls
44 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
556,777
since 1880

Carolyn over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201949peak #10, 1942girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,222185—
2024#1,160207—
2023#1,085228—
2022#1,239194—
2021#1,129218—
2020#947270—
2019#936282—
2018#865313—
2017#832326—
2016#808352—
2015#748377—
2014#746375—
2013#784347—
2012#765361—
2011#742371—
2010#736378—
2009#683426—
2008#678448—
2007#606495—
2006#517587—
2005#488626—
2004#417731—
2003#430701—
2002#365822—
2001#346870—
2000#3081,031—
1999#2971,037—
1998#327901—
1997#2761,061—
1996#2331,210—
1995#2421,175#7,7926
1994#2301,230—
1993#2001,479—
1992#1961,518—
1991#1931,559#6,5197
1990#1691,714#5,3829
1989#1581,809#3,32517
1988#1581,802#5,2008
1987#1491,813#3,95911
1986#1621,733#3,88211
1985#1551,837#4,05210
1984#1551,825#4,2159
1983#1501,914#3,88410
1982#1462,009#4,5938
1981#1441,958#3,85810
1980#1471,928#4,9407
1979#1382,053#4,8427
1978#1302,176#3,61410
1977#1292,197#3,38611
1976#1292,115#4,9356
1975#1192,346#4,3097
1974#1182,471#3,8378
1973#1162,569#3,01311
1972#1102,992#2,65913
1971#1043,609#3,9637
1970#844,518#2,62113
1969#715,129#2,04617
1968#615,538#2,03016
1967#605,719#1,50726
1966#606,121#1,72320
1965#586,965#1,66922
1964#568,066#1,54526
1963#568,124#1,37532
1962#469,692#1,47928
1961#4210,509#1,60225
1960#439,403#1,61925
1959#429,727#1,36033
1958#3710,814#1,37032
1957#3311,575#1,58325
1956#3310,634#1,36232
1955#3011,179#1,37031
1954#2712,153#1,38230
1953#2512,919#1,37830
1952#2414,272#1,19538
1951#2215,206#1,24235
1950#2015,588#1,46425
1949#1717,404#1,34829
1948#1418,623#1,12740
1947#1520,742#1,06446
1946#1219,902#98047
1945#1217,244#89950
1944#1118,670#74569
1943#1120,365#74076
1942#1019,978#83960
1941#1116,273#81760
1940#1512,657#93946
1939#1411,290#99241
1938#1510,586#1,00940
1937#208,941#94244
1936#237,906#1,20530
1935#286,967#1,42223
1934#336,472#1,46122
1933#405,043#1,58619
1932#464,587#1,99514
1931#604,008#1,77017
1930#723,725#1,64420
1929#773,272#2,58910
1928#912,847#2,8439
1927#992,806#3,1518
1926#1142,415—
1925#1272,189#2,9369
1924#1272,222#4,3475
1923#1322,010#3,4677
1922#1441,706—
1921#1461,753—
1920#1501,556—
1919#1651,330—
1918#1671,329—
1917#1641,223#3,9815
1916#1631,216—
1915#1681,096#2,45810
1914#169835—
1913#170676—
1912#189517—
1911#185387—
1910#199331—
1909#194299—
1908#200280—
1907#254184—
1906#235184—
1905#213210—
1904#227183—
1903#241157—
1902#224179—
1901#237148—
1900#231185—
1899#231141—
1898#225169—
1897#227145—
1896#227149—
1895#227148—
1894#219147—
1893#211146—
1892#239122—
1891#230110—
1890#217124—
1889#199133—
1888#203123—
1887#20897—
1886#22282—
1885#20886—
1884#21875—
1883#23458—
1882#21762—
1881#19560—
1880#16380—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Carolyn was already there! It came in at #163, and was given to 80 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1886, when fewer than 87 girls a year got the name.

Where Carolyn is popular in 1949

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #49 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 148 girlsAKMaine: #37 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 157 girlsMEVermont: #31 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 114 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #63 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 226 girlsNHWashington: #29 for girls · 177 births · 1 in 142 girlsWAIdaho: #21 for girls · 62 births · 1 in 99 girlsIDMontana: #27 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 119 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #46 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 185 girlsNDMinnesota: #53 for girls · 145 births · 1 in 224 girlsMNIllinois: #25 for girls · 684 births · 1 in 125 girlsILWisconsin: #49 for girls · 165 births · 1 in 224 girlsWIMichigan: #26 for girls · 536 births · 1 in 132 girlsMINew York: #39 for girls · 794 births · 1 in 179 girlsNYMassachusetts: #46 for girls · 235 births · 1 in 190 girlsMARhode Island: #43 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 162 girlsRIOregon: #24 for girls · 125 births · 1 in 120 girlsORNevada: #26 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 101 girlsNVWyoming: #26 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 98 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #36 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 153 girlsSDIowa: #35 for girls · 209 births · 1 in 131 girlsIAIndiana: #19 for girls · 502 births · 1 in 84 girlsINOhio: #25 for girls · 794 births · 1 in 109 girlsOHPennsylvania: #34 for girls · 644 births · 1 in 159 girlsPANew Jersey: #39 for girls · 260 births · 1 in 163 girlsNJConnecticut: #44 for girls · 93 births · 1 in 186 girlsCTCalifornia: #25 for girls · 842 births · 1 in 134 girlsCAUtah: #20 for girls · 93 births · 1 in 88 girlsUTColorado: #29 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 128 girlsCONebraska: #27 for girls · 123 births · 1 in 109 girlsNEMissouri: #12 for girls · 597 births · 1 in 65 girlsMOKentucky: #8 for girls · 644 births · 1 in 53 girlsKYWest Virginia: #9 for girls · 457 births · 1 in 52 girlsWVVirginia: #6 for girls · 754 births · 1 in 47 girlsVAMaryland: #15 for girls · 281 births · 1 in 80 girlsMDDelaware: #23 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 94 girlsDEArizona: #41 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 165 girlsAZNew Mexico: #23 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 124 girlsNMKansas: #19 for girls · 217 births · 1 in 83 girlsKSArkansas: #6 for girls · 540 births · 1 in 41 girlsARTennessee: #7 for girls · 819 births · 1 in 46 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #6 for girls · 1,006 births · 1 in 49 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #9 for girls · 458 births · 1 in 61 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #13 for girls · 174 births · 1 in 66 girlsDCOklahoma: #8 for girls · 408 births · 1 in 53 girlsOKLouisiana: #7 for girls · 508 births · 1 in 66 girlsLAMississippi: #11 for girls · 386 births · 1 in 76 girlsMSAlabama: #9 for girls · 684 births · 1 in 55 girlsALGeorgia: #9 for girls · 618 births · 1 in 69 girlsGAHawaii: #19 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 117 girlsHITexas: #8 for girls · 1,343 births · 1 in 71 girlsTXFlorida: #11 for girls · 383 births · 1 in 70 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Arkansas#6 · 1 in 41
  2. Virginia#6 · 1 in 47
  3. North Carolina#6 · 1 in 49
  4. Tennessee#7 · 1 in 46
  5. Louisiana#7 · 1 in 66

Best ever in a state: #4 in Oklahoma, 1942.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#65401 in 41
North Carolina#61,0061 in 49
Virginia#67541 in 47
Louisiana#75081 in 66
Tennessee#78191 in 46
Kentucky#86441 in 53
Oklahoma#84081 in 53
Texas#81,3431 in 71
Alabama#96841 in 55
Georgia#96181 in 69
South Carolina#94581 in 61
West Virginia#94571 in 52
Florida#113831 in 70
Mississippi#113861 in 76
Missouri#125971 in 65
District of Columbia#131741 in 66
Maryland#152811 in 80
Hawaii#19451 in 117
Indiana#195021 in 84
Kansas#192171 in 83
Utah#20931 in 88
Idaho#21621 in 99
Delaware#23311 in 94
New Mexico#23701 in 124
Oregon#241251 in 120
California#258421 in 134
Illinois#256841 in 125
Ohio#257941 in 109
Michigan#265361 in 132
Nevada#26111 in 101
Wyoming#26261 in 98
Montana#27511 in 119
Nebraska#271231 in 109
Colorado#291111 in 128
Washington#291771 in 142
Vermont#31311 in 114
Pennsylvania#346441 in 159
Iowa#352091 in 131
South Dakota#36461 in 153
Maine#37581 in 157
New Jersey#392601 in 163
New York#397941 in 179
Arizona#41541 in 165
Rhode Island#43451 in 162
Connecticut#44931 in 186
Massachusetts#462351 in 190
North Dakota#46361 in 185
Alaska#4971 in 148
Wisconsin#491651 in 224
Minnesota#531451 in 224
New Hampshire#63221 in 226

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Carolyn
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 62 spots since 2024 (#1,160 → #1,222)
  • 275 spots since 2020 (#947 → #1,222)
  • 474 spots since 2015 (#748 → #1,222)
  • Biggest jump: 54 spots in 1908 (#254 → #200)
  • Biggest drop: 182 spots in 2021 (#947 → #1,129)
Rise & fade · girls
62 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1942 at #10 (19,978 births)
  • Births halved by 1959, 17 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 1 yr
  • Top 10: 1 yr · 1942
  • Top 100: 44 yrs · run 1927–1970
  • Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2020
Share of babies · girls
1 in 68
  • Highest: 1 in 68 girls born in 1942 were named Carolyn (1.5%)
  • Latest: 1 in 8,688 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1940s
  • 32.7% of all girls named Carolyn (181,858) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s856#163 (1880)#207
1890s1,401#211 (1893)#225
1900s2,009#194 (1909)#226
1910s8,940#163 (1916)#174
1920s22,776#77 (1929)#121
1930s69,525#14 (1939)#35
1940s181,858#10 (1942)#13
1950s124,067#20 (1950)#29
1960s75,266#42 (1961)#55
1970s27,046#84 (1970)#118
1980s18,628#144 (1981)#152
1990s12,884#169 (1990)#236
2000s6,737#308 (2000)#484
2010s3,482#736 (2010)#796
2020s1,302#947 (2020)#1,130

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Carolyn in 1949

girls
#17
17,404 births · 1 in 98 girls
boys
#1,348
29 births · 1 in 61,170 boys

Top girls' names in 1949

  1. #1Linda91,015
  2. #2Mary66,874
  3. #3Patricia46,324
  4. #4Barbara42,600
  5. #5Susan37,709
  6. #6Sandra30,643
  7. #7Nancy29,249
  8. #8Carol26,780
  9. #9Kathleen26,357
  10. #10Sharon25,713
  11. #17Carolyn17,404

Top boys' names in 1949

  1. #1James86,858
  2. #2Robert83,873
  3. #3John81,178
  4. #4William61,506
  5. #5Michael60,047
  6. #6David59,611
  7. #7Richard50,946
  8. #8Thomas45,192
  9. #9Charles40,052
  10. #10Larry31,819
  11. #1,348Carolyn29
More about 1949

girls

1,710,877 girls got a published name in 1949; 1 in 98 of them was named Carolyn, which outranked 99.7% of the 6,066 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Carolyn
  1. #14Margaret19,452
  2. #15Deborah19,209
  3. #16Judith17,610
  4. #17Carolyn17,404
  5. #18Shirley17,281
  6. #19Diane17,252
  7. #20Judy15,979
Biggest movers since 1948
Risers
  1. ↑ 937Sharman#1,708 → #771
  2. ↑ 665Roseanna#1,422 → #757
  3. ↑ 483Shauna#1,173 → #690
  4. ↑ 293Jacalyn#1,116 → #823
  5. ↑ 267Sanjuana#1,185 → #918
Fallers
  1. ↓ 339Sandie#939 → #1,278
  2. ↓ 296Syble#955 → #1,251
  3. ↓ 272Shirleen#964 → #1,236
  4. ↓ 266Ginny#734 → #1,000
  5. ↓ 260Dina#861 → #1,121

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,773,939 boys got a published name in 1949; 1 in 61,170 of them was named Carolyn, which outranked 67.9% of the 4,205 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Carolyn
  1. #1,322Sylvan30
  2. #1,322Tillman30
  3. #1,322Vann30
  4. #1,348Carolyn29
  5. #1,348Baron29
  6. #1,348Casimir29
  7. #1,348Catarino29
  8. #1,380Alfonza28
  9. #1,380Alphonzo28
  10. #1,380Ardell28

Tied with 31 names at #1,348; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1948
Risers
  1. ↑ 538Lannie#1,107 → #569
  2. ↑ 411Lenwood#1,296 → #885
  3. ↑ 338Robby#1,296 → #958
  4. ↑ 326Ocie#1,323 → #997
  5. ↑ 319Denzil#1,127 → #808
Fallers
  1. ↓ 473Loyal#989 → #1,462
  2. ↓ 446Rich#963 → #1,409
  3. ↓ 395Brock#733 → #1,128
  4. ↓ 376Baron#972 → #1,348
  5. ↓ 333Murry#989 → #1,322

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1949 →