Carolyn
Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Carolin, Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Carolyn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Carolin, Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Carolyn
The earliest SSA record of Carolyn as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 80 babies received it. 1947 was its biggest year on record, with 20,741 newborns named Carolyn — #15 in the national rankings. The 1940s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 33% of all recorded Carolyns. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,221 among baby girl names with 192 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 557K Carolyns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Carolyn
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Carolyn. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Carolyn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Carolyn 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 Carolyn
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About the name Carolyn
Carolyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 557K births in the dataset. Carolyn's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #10. Use the chart and map above to compare Carolyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- 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.