Carolyn
Girl name · #1222 in 2025 · Uniqueness 73/100
Carolyn ranks #1222 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 185 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #748, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,730 girls born in 2025 was named Carolyn.
The 145-year story
Carolyn first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 80 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 20,742 girls were named Carolyn — good for #15 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Carolyn per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carolyn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carolyn in class?
Carolyn scores 73 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 Carolyn will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Carolyn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carolyn is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Carolyns were OH (13), TX (13), FL (11), CA (10), KY (8). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Carolyn
Statistically, parents drawn to Carolyn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Marilyn, Sharon, Kathleen, Rosalyn, and Jacquelyn.
MarilynSharonKathleenRosalynJacquelynCynthiaRoslynMaryann
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carolyn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #1222 |
| 2024 | 207 | #1160 |
| 2023 | 228 | #1085 |
| 2022 | 194 | #1239 |
| 2021 | 218 | #1129 |
| 2020 | 270 | #947 |
| 2019 | 282 | #936 |
| 2018 | 313 | #865 |
| 2017 | 326 | #832 |
| 2016 | 352 | #808 |
| 2015 | 377 | #748 |
| 2014 | 375 | #746 |
| 2013 | 347 | #784 |
| 2012 | 361 | #765 |
| 2011 | 371 | #742 |
| 2010 | 378 | #736 |
| 2009 | 426 | #683 |
| 2008 | 448 | #678 |
| 2007 | 495 | #606 |
| 2006 | 587 | #517 |
| 2005 | 626 | #488 |
| 2004 | 731 | #417 |
| 2003 | 701 | #430 |
| 2002 | 822 | #365 |
| 2001 | 870 | #346 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carolyn a popular girl name?
Carolyn ranked #1222 among girls in 2025 with 185 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #748.
When was the name Carolyn most popular?
Carolyn peaked in 1947, when 20,742 American girls received the name (ranked #15 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carolyn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,730 newborn American girls was named Carolyn. It scores 73/100 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.