Girl · #7,055 in 2026

Carlyn

Carlyn is an English feminine given name and surname. As a given name it is form of Caroline derived from Karl. As an English surname it derives from the Irish surnames O'Carlain and O'Caireallain. Notable people with this name include the following:

  • English
Current Rank
#7,055
Peak Rank
#952 (1992)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
-23%
1900
First Year
2026
Last Year
1992
Peak Year
#952
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
118
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Carlyn

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Carlyn is an English feminine given name and surname. As a given name it is form of Caroline derived from Karl. As an English surname it derives from the Irish surnames O'Carlain and O'Caireallain. Notable people with this name include the following:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Carlyn

American parents first put Carlyn on the record books as a baby girl name in 1900, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 74 Carlyns were born — ranking #1,894 that year. As of 2026, Carlyn ranks #7,055 for baby girls with 15 births, falling sharply (-23%). All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
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AK
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OK
LA
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Top 10
11-50
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500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Carlyn

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Carlyn. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Carlyn

Phonetically similar names — useful when Carlyn 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 Carlyn

What does the name Carlyn mean?
Carlyn is an English feminine given name and surname. As a given name it is form of Caroline derived from Karl. As an English surname it derives from the Irish surnames O'Carlain and O'Caireallain. Notable people with this name include the following:
What is the origin of the name Carlyn?
Carlyn has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Carlyn in 2026?
In 2026, Carlyn ranks #7,055 among girls' names in the U.S., with 15 babies given the name that year.
When was Carlyn most popular?
Carlyn reached its peak popularity in 1992, ranking #952 that year with 74 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Carlyn most popular?
Carlyn has historically been most popular in Maryland, Wisconsin, Washington. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Carlyn.
Is Carlyn a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Carlyn is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Carlyn?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Carlyn include Ottie, Pamelia, Rozanne. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Carlyn?
Common variants and related forms of Carlyn include Caleigh, Cali, Calleigh, Callie, Cari, Carol. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Ottie
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Pamelia
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👧
Rozanne
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👧
Denita
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👧
Izetta
Peak #951
👧
Fumiko
Peak #953
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Serina
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Pepper
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About the name Carlyn

Carlyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1900 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Carlyn's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #952. Use the chart and map above to compare Carlyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.