Carlin
Carlin is a unisex given name and surname of Irish origin. As a feminine given name, a secondary origin is as an alternate form of Carla, Carol or Caroline. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Carlin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carlin is a unisex given name and surname of Irish origin. As a feminine given name, a secondary origin is as an alternate form of Carla, Carol or Caroline. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Carlin
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Carlin as a girl name dates back to 1920, when 5 babies received it. 1998 was its biggest year on record, with 51 newborns named Carlin — #2,651 in the national rankings. About 22% of every Carlin on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Carlin ranks #7,688 for girls with 13 births, falling sharply (-32%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Carlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1905, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1992: 62 births, good for #1,472 nationwide. As of 2026, Carlin ranks #6,795 for boys with 11 births, falling sharply (-46%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Carlin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carlin 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 Carlin
What does the name Carlin mean?
How popular is Carlin in 2026?
When was Carlin most popular?
In which U.S. states is Carlin most popular?
Is Carlin a unisex name?
What names go well with Carlin?
About the name Carlin
Carlin is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1905 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Carlin's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #1,233. Use the chart and map above to compare Carlin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1992 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.