Carly
Girl name · #1010 in 2025 · Uniqueness 76/100
In 2025, 248 baby girls were named Carly, placing it at #1010 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #389, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,258 girls born in 2025 was named Carly.
Babies named Carly per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 74-year story
Carly first appears in the Social Security records in 1951, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1995, when 2,585 girls were named Carly — good for #122 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carly against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carly in class?
Carly scores 76 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Carly will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Carly is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carly is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Carlys were TX (27), OH (17), FL (16), CA (13), NJ (11). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Carly
Statistically, parents drawn to Carly tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Karly, Amberly, Ashly, Casey, and Kacey.
KarlyAmberlyAshlyCaseyKaceyClareCarinaHayley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carly | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 248 | #1008 |
| 2024 | 308 | #875 |
| 2023 | 361 | #780 |
| 2022 | 366 | #778 |
| 2021 | 447 | #664 |
| 2020 | 471 | #621 |
| 2019 | 536 | #567 |
| 2018 | 655 | #478 |
| 2017 | 695 | #455 |
| 2016 | 807 | #413 |
| 2015 | 846 | #389 |
| 2014 | 916 | #357 |
| 2013 | 1,019 | #321 |
| 2012 | 1,110 | #285 |
| 2011 | 1,277 | #248 |
| 2010 | 1,439 | #218 |
| 2009 | 1,508 | #215 |
| 2008 | 1,685 | #197 |
| 2007 | 1,323 | #261 |
| 2006 | 1,351 | #252 |
| 2005 | 1,749 | #199 |
| 2004 | 1,926 | #177 |
| 2003 | 1,762 | #183 |
| 2002 | 1,590 | #206 |
| 2001 | 1,833 | #176 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carly a popular girl name?
Carly ranked #1010 among girls in 2025 with 248 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #389.
When was the name Carly most popular?
Carly peaked in 1995, when 2,585 American girls received the name (ranked #122 that year). Since 1995 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carly?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,258 newborn American girls was named Carly. It scores 76/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.