ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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👧As Girl Name

1941

First Year

2012

Last Year

1971

Peak Year

#3507

Peak Rank

466

Total Count

55

Years Active

👦As Boy Name

1930

First Year

2024

Last Year

2000

Peak Year

#6839

Peak Rank

101

Total Count

16

Years Active

📖

## The Story of Carlen

### As a girl name

Carlen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1941, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1971: 18 births, good for #3,507 nationwide. About 23% of every Carlen on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Carlen last appeared in the published SSA data in 2012, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 466 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.

### As a boy name

American parents first put Carlen on the record books as a boy name in 1930, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 9 Carlens were born — ranking #6,839 that year. About 22% of every Carlen on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Carlen last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 9 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 101 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys 

## Popularity by State

👧 Girls 👦 Boys 

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Carlen

Phonetically similar names — useful when Carlen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Carlin](/carlin)
* [Carlyn](/carlyn)
* [Karlin](/karlin)
* [Karlyn](/karlyn)
* [Carlene](/carlene)
* [Carleen](/carleen)
* [Carline](/carline)
* [Karlene](/karlene)
* [Carling](/carling)
* [Carla](/carla)
* [Karla](/karla)
* [Carlton](/carlton)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Carlen

What does the name Carlen mean?

Carlen is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1941\. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Carlen in 2026?

In 2026, Carlen ranks #14,962 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Carlen most popular?

Carlen reached its peak popularity in 1971, ranking #3,507 that year with 18 babies given the name.

Is Carlen a unisex name?

Yes — Carlen is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 82% of Carlens assigned female and 18% assigned male historically.

What names go well with Carlen?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Carlen include Marca, Aracelia, Felina. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

### 👧 Similar Girl Names 

[👧MarcaPeak #3507](/marca)[👧AraceliaPeak #3507](/aracelia)[👧FelinaPeak #3507](/felina)[👧LasaundraPeak #3507](/lasaundra)

### 👦 Similar Boy Names 

[👦OthonPeak #6839](/othon)[👦MashawnPeak #6839](/mashawn)[👦TaijuanPeak #6839](/taijuan)[👦TaPeak #6839](/ta)

## About the name Carlen 

Carlen is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1941 and has accumulated 466 births in the dataset. Carlen's peak popularity came in 1971 when it ranked #3,507\. Use the chart and map above to compare Carlen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1971 → ](/year/1971)
* [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s)
* [ Names starting with "C" → ](/letter/c)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)
* [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.