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
Carlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1920, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 51 Carlins were born — ranking #2,651 that year. As of 2026, Carlin ranks #7,688 for girls with 13 births, falling sharply (-32%). In total, more than 2K Carlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through 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. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 62 Carlins were born — ranking #1,472 that year. As of 2026, Carlin ranks #6,795 for boys with 11 births, falling sharply (-46%). In total, more than 3K Carlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through 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?
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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.