Carey
Carey was given to 13 boys in 2025, #6,515 among boys’ names; 29,621 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 22,700 Americans named Carey and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (77% of everyone recorded); the median is 53 years old and half are between 46 and 63.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Carey by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Carey mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Carey is “a male given name transferred from the surname.”
Also “a female given name, variant of Cary.”
As a German surname, Americanized from Gehrig, Gehring.
As a Welsh surname, variant of Carew.
As an English surname, from placenames derived from Proto-Brythonic *karɨd (“to love”).
As an Irish surname, from mac Fhiachra (“descendant of Fiachra”), from préachán (“crow”).
Also as an Irish surname, from the root of the name Kerry.
/ˈkɛəɹi/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Carey?
#6,515 among boys’ names, 2025
Carey fell from #4,310 in 2015 to #6,515 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 12.0 to 7.6 per million.
1,058 babies in 1975, the peak
Carey peaked in 1975, when 1,058 babies were given it (302 boys, #464 among boys’ names). The 13 births of 2025 are 1% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | under 5 | 13 | #6,515 | |
| 2024 | 5 | #15,731 | 18 | #5,271 |
| 2023 | under 5 | 12 | #6,960 | |
| 2022 | 7 | #12,497 | 11 | #7,340 |
| 2021 | 9 | #10,448 | 7 | #9,894 |
| 2020 | 9 | #10,429 | 12 | #6,695 |
| 2019 | 7 | #12,694 | 18 | #5,188 |
| 2018 | 10 | #9,961 | 23 | #4,380 |
| 2017 | 11 | #9,438 | 22 | #4,488 |
| 2016 | 6 | #14,685 | 24 | #4,211 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8 | #12,049 | 23 | #4,310 |
| 2014 | 15 | #7,734 | 21 | #4,556 |
| 2013 | 8 | #12,203 | 24 | #4,075 |
| 2012 | 11 | #9,845 | 28 | #3,725 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13,629 | 29 | #3,615 |
| 2010 | 18 | #6,970 | 26 | #3,909 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6,860 | 28 | #3,733 |
| 2008 | 8 | #12,807 | 27 | #3,838 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5,751 | 39 | #2,978 |
| 2006 | 15 | #7,943 | 32 | #3,314 |
| 2005 | 26 | #4,979 | 27 | #3,537 |
| 2004 | 22 | #5,600 | 33 | #3,026 |
| 2003 | 29 | #4,439 | 26 | #3,449 |
| 2002 | 28 | #4,402 | 49 | #2,154 |
| 2001 | 36 | #3,639 | 50 | #2,083 |
| 2000 | 39 | #3,406 | 40 | #2,381 |
| 1999 | 55 | #2,569 | 51 | #1,901 |
| 1998 | 51 | #2,652 | 45 | #2,067 |
| 1997 | 54 | #2,425 | 66 | #1,550 |
| 1996 | 63 | #2,151 | 73 | #1,421 |
| 1995 | 73 | #1,899 | 73 | #1,376 |
| 1994 | 96 | #1,581 | 81 | #1,293 |
| 1993 | 88 | #1,696 | 102 | #1,104 |
| 1992 | 100 | #1,547 | 124 | #964 |
| 1991 | 120 | #1,355 | 131 | #916 |
| 1990 | 96 | #1,575 | 141 | #856 |
| 1989 | 131 | #1,222 | 142 | #837 |
| 1988 | 121 | #1,229 | 167 | #731 |
| 1987 | 154 | #1,009 | 140 | #778 |
| 1986 | 153 | #1,005 | 158 | #720 |
| 1985 | 175 | #905 | 169 | #683 |
| 1984 | 201 | #796 | 156 | #699 |
| 1983 | 221 | #738 | 168 | #659 |
| 1982 | 255 | #686 | 171 | #668 |
| 1981 | 273 | #646 | 165 | #672 |
| 1980 | 342 | #545 | 168 | #665 |
| 1979 | 407 | #497 | 198 | #609 |
| 1978 | 534 | #391 | 224 | #560 |
| 1977 | 601 | #363 | 253 | #522 |
| 1976 | 693 | #323 | 256 | #501 |
| 1975 | 756 | #304 | 302 | #464 |
| 1974 | 659 | #335 | 298 | #464 |
| 1973 | 560 | #374 | 279 | #467 |
| 1972 | 481 | #410 | 282 | #467 |
| 1971 | 505 | #419 | 350 | #436 |
| 1970 | 409 | #490 | 324 | #453 |
| 1969 | 373 | #504 | 344 | #424 |
| 1968 | 323 | #531 | 336 | #418 |
| 1967 | 256 | #594 | 324 | #423 |
| 1966 | 164 | #766 | 308 | #434 |
| 1965 | 150 | #812 | 283 | #463 |
| 1964 | 152 | #844 | 332 | #441 |
| 1963 | 161 | #820 | 336 | #435 |
| 1962 | 183 | #767 | 325 | #440 |
| 1961 | 160 | #831 | 331 | #440 |
| 1960 | 137 | #897 | 370 | #411 |
| 1959 | 137 | #887 | 437 | #378 |
| 1958 | 151 | #824 | 399 | #392 |
| 1957 | 140 | #860 | 461 | #353 |
| 1956 | 158 | #785 | 366 | #393 |
| 1955 | 136 | #828 | 363 | #377 |
| 1954 | 136 | #805 | 403 | #359 |
| 1953 | 107 | #906 | 320 | #392 |
| 1952 | 81 | #1,046 | 338 | #369 |
| 1951 | 67 | #1,143 | 290 | #397 |
| 1950 | 68 | #1,115 | 272 | #408 |
| 1949 | 45 | #1,376 | 196 | #469 |
| 1948 | 52 | #1,268 | 232 | #439 |
| 1947 | 29 | #1,795 | 226 | #444 |
| 1946 | 31 | #1,590 | 173 | #487 |
| 1945 | 16 | #2,161 | 132 | #520 |
| 1944 | 30 | #1,490 | 138 | #515 |
| 1943 | 28 | #1,597 | 130 | #551 |
| 1942 | 30 | #1,499 | 132 | #531 |
| 1941 | 22 | #1,702 | 104 | #579 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,317 | 96 | #603 |
| 1939 | 14 | #2,219 | 85 | #642 |
| 1938 | 17 | #1,953 | 102 | #579 |
| 1937 | 13 | #2,331 | 86 | #632 |
| 1936 | 19 | #1,745 | 81 | #644 |
| 1935 | 19 | #1,791 | 80 | #664 |
| 1934 | 14 | #2,201 | 93 | #617 |
| 1933 | 14 | #2,172 | 61 | #784 |
| 1932 | 12 | #2,516 | 76 | #709 |
| 1931 | 15 | #2,121 | 58 | #825 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,706 | 65 | #803 |
| 1929 | 8 | #3,429 | 81 | #685 |
| 1928 | 6 | #4,261 | 60 | #855 |
| 1927 | 13 | #2,572 | 70 | #787 |
| 1926 | 13 | #2,586 | 79 | #716 |
| 1925 | 14 | #2,503 | 65 | #823 |
| 1924 | 16 | #2,322 | 66 | #839 |
| 1923 | 15 | #2,377 | 68 | #816 |
| 1922 | 7 | #4,065 | 85 | #710 |
| 1921 | 11 | #2,965 | 68 | #835 |
| 1920 | 16 | #2,286 | 63 | #854 |
| 1919 | 18 | #1,997 | 77 | #721 |
| 1918 | 5 | #4,920 | 58 | #871 |
| 1917 | 12 | #2,574 | 80 | #668 |
| 1916 | 14 | #2,269 | 64 | #763 |
| 1915 | 12 | #2,405 | 59 | #785 |
| 1914 | 13 | #1,913 | 68 | #609 |
| 1913 | 10 | #2,047 | 39 | #748 |
| 1912 | 7 | #2,407 | 36 | #715 |
| 1911 | under 5 | 14 | #899 | |
| 1910 | 6 | #2,182 | 25 | #570 |
| 1909 | under 5 | 13 | #809 | |
| 1908 | under 5 | 17 | #635 | |
| 1907 | under 5 | 11 | #824 | |
| 1906 | 6 | #1,759 | 15 | #619 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,560 | 19 | #529 |
| 1904 | under 5 | 17 | #542 | |
| 1903 | under 5 | 16 | #553 | |
| 1902 | 5 | #1,825 | 12 | #655 |
| 1901 | under 5 | 11 | #641 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 26 | #447 | |
| 1899 | 6 | #1,422 | 13 | #554 |
| 1898 | under 5 | 22 | #422 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 20 | #423 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 15 | #539 | |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,628 | 17 | #491 |
| 1894 | under 5 | 12 | #599 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 11 | #622 | |
| 1892 | 6 | #1,302 | 19 | #446 |
| 1891 | under 5 | 11 | #569 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 11 | #609 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 15 | #484 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 13 | #559 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 16 | #424 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 5 | #989 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 13 | #524 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 24 | #361 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 19 | #404 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 18 | #430 | |
| 1881 | under 5 | 8 | #661 | |
| 1880 | 6 | #756 | 13 | #506 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Carey a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 29,621 Americans recorded as Carey, 43% are girls and 57% boys. Girls have outnumbered boys among babies named Carey every year since 1999. In 2025 it went to 13 boys; SSA lists no girls with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Carey: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Carey, and how old are they?
22,700 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 77% of the 29,621 Americans ever recorded as Carey. The median Carey alive today is 53 years old; half are between 46 and 63.
The 2020 Census counted 22,072 people named Carey (11,245 women and girls, 10,827 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 23,971 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 483 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 5,890 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 10,700 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 4,300 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,020 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 321 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Carey born?
The states with the most babies named Carey are California, Texas and Georgia, with 25% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,074 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Texas | 1,846 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Georgia | 1,468 | not ranked | 1.9× |
| Ohio | 1,233 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 1,118 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| New York | 1,081 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Pennsylvania | 1,002 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Florida | 943 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Louisiana | 922 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Michigan | 921 | not ranked | 0.7× |
Where Carey is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Carey is most over-represented in Georgia: since 1910 it was given 1.9 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Carey with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 5 names spelled alike, given to 59,711 babies since 1880, Carey is the second most given (50% of them). In 2025 it was given to 13 of their 52 babies (25%), again the second most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
More about Carey and names like it
- Compare Carey and CaryBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1970sCarey peaked in 1975.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Carey since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Carey: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1975The year the most babies were named Carey.
- The names of Generation XMost people named Carey alive today were born 1965-1980.
- Names starting with CMost given first.