Carley
Carley is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Carley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carley is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Carley
American parents first put Carley on the record books as a baby girl name in 1921, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 713 Carleys were born — ranking #389 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 35% of all recorded Carleys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,872 among baby girl names with 38 births, falling sharply (-57%). In total, more than 17K Carleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Carley
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Carley. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Carley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carley
What does the name Carley mean?
What is the origin of the name Carley?
How popular is Carley in 2026?
When was Carley most popular?
In which U.S. states is Carley most popular?
Is Carley a unisex name?
What names go well with Carley?
What are nicknames or variants of Carley?
About the name Carley
Carley is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Carley's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #376. Use the chart and map above to compare Carley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1998 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.