Total births
16,880
Unisex name · since 1880
Carey
Carey has 16,880 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5242
- among boys today
- 16,880
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Carey currently ranks #5242 among unisex names in America, with 16,880 babies recorded since 1880.
Carey has 16,880 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5242 as of the latest data, more common than 63% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5242 among boys today
- 16,880 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carey is currently the #5242 unisex name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 16,880 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5242
- among boys today
- 16,880
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Carey vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5242
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Carey was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
461 babies were named Carey in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Carey compares
16,880 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Carey's all-time total is 46x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carey | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,880 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 461 | 23 | 22,252 |
Carey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Carey's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 71% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 29%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1886, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1957 peak of 461, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Carey at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#5,242
Active since
1880
Carey popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 461
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Carey popularity over time - girls
12,741 total births recorded since 1880 (Carey as girls' name)
Carey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Carey's strongest decade.
3,649 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Carey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 144
1880s
144 births
- 1890s 151
1890s
151 births
- 1900s 157
1900s
157 births
- 1910s 520
1910s
520 births
- 1920s 705
1920s
705 births
- 1930s 787
1930s
787 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,559 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,649 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,289 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,766 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,604 births
- 1990s 887
1990s
887 births
- 2000s 351
2000s
351 births
- 2010s 238
2010s
238 births
- 2020s 73
2020s
73 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,649 births (22% of all-time use).
How Carey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Carey's total volume
Carey vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Carey by state
Where Carey concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,214 | 7.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 1,185 | 7.0% |
| #3 | California | | 970 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 815 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 713 | 4.2% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 652 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 630 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Florida | | 579 | 3.4% |
Texas share of Carey's total US births 7.2%
Even split
1,214 of 16,880 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Carey appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carey? ▼
16,880 babies have been named Carey since 1880. It currently ranks #5242 among boys. The peak year was 1957 with 461 births.
When was Carey most popular? ▼
Carey was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,649 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Carey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carey are Texas (1,214 births), Georgia (1,185 births), California (970 births).
Is Carey a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carey is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 16,880 births, and as a girl's name it has 12,741 births.
How long has the name Carey been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Carey since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Carey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carl, Carlos, Carter, Carson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Carey's data
- Carey's decade-level peak was the 1950s (3,649 total births); usage has since declined to 73 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Careys (1,214 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carey
Nearby Names Like Carey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carey
Carl Boy
#1031 504,827 births
Carlos Boy
#135 307,036 births
Carter Boy
#46 206,833 births
Carson Boy
#124 132,774 births
Carlton Boy
#2791 48,890 births
Compare Carey side by side: Carey vs Carl Carey vs Carlos Carey vs Carter
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carey
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carey: #5242 Unisex Name - 16,880 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carey. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Carey draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.