Carly
Carly is a given name, a feminine form of Carl. It is also a pet form of given names such as Carla, Caroline ,Charlotte and Carlotta. Variant different spellings include Carley, Carlie, Carlee, Carleigh and Carli, as well as Karly, Karli, Karley, Karlee, Karlie and Karleigh.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Carly
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carly is a given name, a feminine form of Carl. It is also a pet form of given names such as Carla, Caroline ,Charlotte and Carlotta. Variant different spellings include Carley, Carlie, Carlee, Carleigh and Carli, as well as Karly, Karli, Karley, Karlee, Karlie and Karleigh.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Carly
The earliest SSA record of Carly as a baby girl name dates back to 1951, when 6 babies received it. 1995 was its biggest year on record, with 2,585 newborns named Carly — #122 in the national rankings. About 34% of every Carly on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Carly ranks #949 for baby girls with 274 births, falling sharply (-43%). All told, over 67K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Carly
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Carly. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Carly
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Carly Binding (born 1978), New Zealand pop singer-songwriter
- Carly Booth (born 1992), Scottish professional golfer
- Carly Chaikin (born 1990), American actress
- Carly Cole (born 1984), British reality television contestant, fitness trainer and model
- Carly Colón (born 1979), male Puerto Rican-Canadian professional wrestler
- Carly Craig (born 1980), American actress
- Carly Dixon (born 1973), Australian Olympic judoka
- Carly Ealey , American artist best known for mural installations
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Carly
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carly 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 Carly
What does the name Carly mean?
What is the origin of the name Carly?
How popular is Carly in 2026?
When was Carly most popular?
In which U.S. states is Carly most popular?
Is Carly a unisex name?
What names go well with Carly?
What are nicknames or variants of Carly?
About the name Carly
Carly is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1951 and has accumulated 67K births in the dataset. Carly's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #122. Use the chart and map above to compare Carly's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1995 →
- 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.