Girl · #97 in 2026

Caroline

Caroline is a feminine given name, originally a French feminine form of the masculine name Charles. It has been in common use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. The name was first used among upper class English families in honor of Charles I of England and his son Charles II of England. Common nicknames and variations include Callie, Cara, Carol, Carole, Carolina, Carolyn, Carly, Carrie, and Caz.

  • French
  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
Current Rank
#97
Peak Rank
#55 (2000)
Total Babies
253K
5-Yr Trend
-27%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2000
Peak Year
#55
Peak Rank
253K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Caroline

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

Caroline is a feminine given name, originally a French feminine form of the masculine name Charles. It has been in common use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. The name was first used among upper class English families in honor of Charles I of England and his son Charles II of England. Common nicknames and variations include Callie, Cara, Carol, Carole, Carolina, Carolyn, Carly, Carrie, and Caz.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • French
  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Dutch

The Story of Caroline

Caroline first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 306 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2000: 5,022 births, good for #65 nationwide. As of 2026, Caroline ranks #97 for baby girls with 2,585 births, falling sharply (-27%). All told, over 253K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s 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
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Caroline

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

Names that sound like Caroline

Phonetically similar names — useful when Caroline 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 Caroline

What does the name Caroline mean?
Caroline is a feminine given name, originally a French feminine form of the masculine name Charles. It has been in common use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. The name was first used among upper class English families in honor of Charles I of England and his son Charles II of England. Common nicknames and variations include Callie, Cara, Carol, Carole, Carolina, Carolyn, Carly, Carrie, and Caz.
What is the origin of the name Caroline?
Caroline has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: French, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch.
How popular is Caroline in 2026?
In 2026, Caroline ranks #97 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,585 babies given the name that year.
When was Caroline most popular?
Caroline reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #55 that year with 5,022 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Caroline most popular?
Caroline has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Alabama, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Caroline.
Is Caroline a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Caroline is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Caroline?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Caroline include Effie, Tracey, Leslie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Caroline?
Common variants and related forms of Caroline include Caleigh, Cali, Calie, Calleigh, Callie, Cari. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Caroline

Caroline is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 253K births in the dataset. Caroline's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #55. Use the chart and map above to compare Caroline'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.