Girls' name · since 1935
Carilyn
Since 1935, U.S. Social Security records show 425 babies named Carilyn, peaking in 1958. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #13,025 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 425
- born since 1935
- 1950s
- peak decade
425 girls have been named Carilyn since 1935, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carilyn has been recorded 425 times among girls since 1935, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1935 to 2011.
- #13,025 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 425 born since 1935
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carilyn ranks #13,025 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 425 born since 1935, peaking in the 1950s.
- #13,025 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 425
- born since 1935
- 1950s
- peak decade
Carilyn's 425 recorded births place it above 81.97% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Carilyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Carilyn's full recorded timeline at 1963, 40% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 60% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1944, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1958 peak of 17 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Carilyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1935–2011
- Peak year (1958)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 77 years of records
Carilyn by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (101 births, 24% of the file).
1950s was Carilyn's strongest decade.
101 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Carilyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 27
1930s
27 births
- 1940s
1940s
96 births
- 1950s
1950s
101 births
- 1960s
1960s
80 births
- 1970s 40
1970s
40 births
- 1980s 34
1980s
34 births
- 1990s 22
1990s
22 births
- 2000s 12
2000s
12 births
- 2010s 13
2010s
13 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 101 births (24% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carilyn? ▼
Where does Carilyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Carilyn most popular? ▼
How long has the name Carilyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Carilyn? ▼
What to do with Carilyn's data
- Carilyn's decade-level peak was the 1950s (101 total births); usage has since declined to 13 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carilyn
Nearby Names Like Carilyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carilyn
Compare Carilyn side by side: Carilyn vs Carol Carilyn vs Carolyn Carilyn vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Carilyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1958)
Similar record span (~76 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1935–2011 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Carilyn 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 August 2026.