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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201991peak #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 1991

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #153 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 558 girlsAKMaine: #212 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,202 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #193 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,010 girlsNHWashington: #241 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,289 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #197 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,195 girlsMNIllinois: #160 for girls · 92 births · 1 in 843 girlsILWisconsin: #213 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,294 girlsWIMichigan: #202 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 1,184 girlsMINew York: #134 for girls · 164 births · 1 in 726 girlsNYMassachusetts: #110 for girls · 69 births · 1 in 526 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedRIOregon: #278 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,532 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedSDIowa: #274 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,723 girlsIAIndiana: #194 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 1,123 girlsINOhio: #201 for girls · 60 births · 1 in 1,170 girlsOHPennsylvania: #143 for girls · 86 births · 1 in 826 girlsPANew Jersey: #156 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 898 girlsNJConnecticut: #107 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 475 girlsCTCalifornia: #245 for girls · 197 births · 1 in 1,328 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Carolyn, so not publishedUTColorado: #211 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,157 girlsCONebraska: #231 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,268 girlsNEMissouri: #207 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,203 girlsMOKentucky: #165 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 933 girlsKYWest Virginia: #242 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,461 girlsWVVirginia: #136 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 671 girlsVAMaryland: #146 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 789 girlsMDDelaware: #150 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 747 girlsDEArizona: #361 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,985 girlsAZNew Mexico: #300 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,340 girlsNMKansas: #351 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,228 girlsKSArkansas: #184 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 926 girlsARTennessee: #239 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,448 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #142 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 766 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #160 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 803 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #151 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 586 girlsDCOklahoma: #283 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,706 girlsOKLouisiana: #248 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,318 girlsLAMississippi: #183 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 897 girlsMSAlabama: #248 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,471 girlsALGeorgia: #194 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 1,102 girlsGAHawaii: #164 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 631 girlsHITexas: #256 for girls · 96 births · 1 in 1,421 girlsTXFlorida: #192 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 1,123 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Connecticut#107 · 1 in 475
  2. Massachusetts#110 · 1 in 526
  3. New York#134 · 1 in 726
  4. Virginia#136 · 1 in 671
  5. North Carolina#142 · 1 in 766

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Connecticut#107391 in 475
Massachusetts#110691 in 526
New York#1341641 in 726
Virginia#136551 in 671
North Carolina#142521 in 766
Pennsylvania#143861 in 826
Maryland#146351 in 789
Delaware#15051 in 747
District of Columbia#151101 in 586
Alaska#15361 in 558
New Jersey#156521 in 898
Illinois#160921 in 843
South Carolina#160241 in 803
Hawaii#16481 in 631
Kentucky#165231 in 933
Mississippi#183151 in 897
Arkansas#184131 in 926
Florida#192681 in 1,123
New Hampshire#19361 in 1,010
Georgia#194381 in 1,102
Indiana#194311 in 1,123
Minnesota#197231 in 1,195
Ohio#201601 in 1,170
Michigan#202511 in 1,184
Missouri#207271 in 1,203
Colorado#211181 in 1,157
Maine#21251 in 1,202
Wisconsin#213221 in 1,294
Nebraska#23171 in 1,268
Tennessee#239211 in 1,448
Washington#241241 in 1,289
West Virginia#24261 in 1,461
California#2451971 in 1,328
Alabama#248151 in 1,471
Louisiana#248191 in 1,318
Texas#256961 in 1,421
Iowa#27491 in 1,723
Oregon#278111 in 1,532
Oklahoma#283101 in 1,706
New Mexico#30071 in 1,340
Kansas#35161 in 2,228
Arizona#361131 in 1,985
Idaho———
Montana———
Nevada———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

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 1991

girls
#193
1,559 births · 1 in 1,203 girls
boys
#6,519
7 births · 1 in 288,618 boys

Top girls' names in 1991

  1. #1Ashley43,477
  2. #2Jessica43,398
  3. #3Brittany29,093
  4. #4Amanda28,896
  5. #5Samantha25,651
  6. #6Sarah25,233
  7. #7Stephanie22,775
  8. #8Jennifer20,673
  9. #9Elizabeth20,395
  10. #10Emily20,311
  11. #193Carolyn1,559

Top boys' names in 1991

  1. #1Michael60,810
  2. #2Christopher47,111
  3. #3Matthew41,647
  4. #4Joshua41,226
  5. #5Andrew31,539
  6. #6Daniel30,935
  7. #7James30,514
  8. #8David30,416
  9. #9Joseph29,840
  10. #10John27,809
  11. #6,519Carolyn7
More about 1991

girls

1,875,007 girls got a published name in 1991; 1 in 1,203 of them was named Carolyn, which outranked 98.8% of the 15,466 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 14.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Carolyn
  1. #190Tabitha1,573
  2. #191Claudia1,569
  3. #192Ariana1,562
  4. #193Carolyn1,559
  5. #194Amelia1,536
  6. #195Ebony1,526
  7. #196Hailey1,506
Biggest movers since 1990
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,600Rebeccah#2,600 → #1,000
  2. ↑ 1,221Ieshia#1,938 → #717
  3. ↑ 1,135Miriah#2,081 → #946
  4. ↑ 861Alexus#1,813 → #952
  5. ↑ 676Chynna#1,512 → #836
Fallers
  1. ↓ 568Infant#432 → #1,000
  2. ↓ 510Lakeshia#897 → #1,407
  3. ↓ 466Latifah#701 → #1,167
  4. ↓ 432Martika#757 → #1,189
  5. ↓ 416Cecily#575 → #991

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

boys

2,020,328 boys got a published name in 1991; 1 in 288,618 of them was named Carolyn, which outranked 32.4% of the 9,648 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Carolyn
  1. #5,942Zackaria8
  2. #5,942Zan8
  3. #5,942Zephan8
  4. #6,519Carolyn7
  5. #6,519Aaronmichael7
  6. #6,519Abayomi7
  7. #6,519Abed7
  8. #7,271Aaronjames6
  9. #7,271Abad6
  10. #7,271Abanoub6

Tied with 751 names at #6,519; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1990
Risers
  1. ↑ 4,462Devante#5,382 → #920
  2. ↑ 1,656Unnamed#2,628 → #972
  3. ↑ 1,496Jaleel#2,373 → #877
  4. ↑ 811Gunnar#1,516 → #705
  5. ↑ 672Dijon#1,587 → #915
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,000Arsenio#744 → #1,744
  2. ↓ 773Brittany#995 → #1,768
  3. ↓ 281Infant#389 → #670
  4. ↓ 281Jarret#881 → #1,162
  5. ↓ 273Elton#963 → #1,236

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

See the top 100 for 1991 →