Girl · #9,378 in 2026

Karlyn

Karlyn is a given name that is a variation of Carlene and Karleen and nickname form of Karla. Notable people known by this name include the following:Karlyn Pickens, American softabll player Karlyn Pipes, American swimmer Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, American academic Karlyn Bowman, American editor and public opinion analyst

Current Rank
#9,378
Peak Rank
#1,776 (1992)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
-49%
1924
First Year
2026
Last Year
1992
Peak Year
#1776
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
96
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Karlyn

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

Karlyn is a given name that is a variation of Carlene and Karleen and nickname form of Karla. Notable people known by this name include the following:Karlyn Pickens, American softabll player Karlyn Pipes, American swimmer Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, American academic Karlyn Bowman, American editor and public opinion analyst

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

The Story of Karlyn

Karlyn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1924, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 51 Karlyns were born — ranking #2,487 that year. As of 2026, Karlyn ranks #9,378 for baby girls with 8 births, falling sharply (-49%). In total, more than 2K Karlyns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Karlyn

Phonetically similar names — useful when Karlyn 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 Karlyn

What does the name Karlyn mean?
Karlyn is a given name that is a variation of Carlene and Karleen and nickname form of Karla. Notable people known by this name include the following:Karlyn Pickens, American softabll player Karlyn Pipes, American swimmer Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, American academic Karlyn Bowman, American editor and public opinion analyst
How popular is Karlyn in 2026?
In 2026, Karlyn ranks #9,378 among girls' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.
When was Karlyn most popular?
Karlyn reached its peak popularity in 1992, ranking #1,776 that year with 51 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Karlyn most popular?
Karlyn has historically been most popular in Missouri, Pennsylvania, Illinois. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Karlyn.
Is Karlyn a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Karlyn is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Karlyn?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Karlyn include Sharmon, Desiray, Shalyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Sharmon
Peak #1776
👧
Desiray
Peak #1776
👧
Shalyn
Peak #1776
👧
Myeisha
Peak #1776
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Kailah
Peak #1776
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Dyamond
Peak #1776
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Josey
Peak #1774
👧
Gabriele
Peak #1774

About the name Karlyn

Karlyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1924 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Karlyn's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #1,776. Use the chart and map above to compare Karlyn'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.