Total births
15,225
Girls' name · since 1895
Carlene
Since 1895, U.S. Social Security records show 15,225 babies named Carlene, peaking in 1955. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8462
- among girls today
- 15,225
- born since 1895
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Carlene currently ranks #8462 among girls' names in America, with 15,225 babies recorded since 1895.
Social Security Administration records show Carlene recorded 15,225 times among girls since 1895, holding rank #8462 nationally today, ahead of 52% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #8462 among girls today
- 15,225 born since 1895
- 1950s peak decade
- 52% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carlene is currently the #8462 girls' name in America, more common than 52% of girls - 15,225 born since 1895, peaking in the 1950s.
- #8462
- among girls today
- 15,225
- born since 1895
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Carlene vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8462
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 52% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Carlene was born in this single decade.
1955
Single peak year
370 babies were named Carlene in 1955 - its busiest year on record.
How Carlene compares
15,225 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Carlene's all-time total is 40x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carlene | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,225 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 370 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Carlene's SSA record in two at 1965 and the more recent half accounts for 26% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 74%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1895, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1955 peak of 370, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Carlene at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1955
Current rank
#8,462
Active since
1895
Carlene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1955)
- 370
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Carlene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Carlene's strongest decade.
3,302 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Carlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 40
1900s
40 births
- 1910s 305
1910s
305 births
- 1920s 839
1920s
839 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,273 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,026 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,302 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,389 births
- 1970s 1,027
1970s
1,027 births
- 1980s 788
1980s
788 births
- 1990s 582
1990s
582 births
- 2000s 406
2000s
406 births
- 2010s 183
2010s
183 births
- 2020s 60
2020s
60 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,302 births (22% of all-time use).
How Carlene compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Carlene's total volume
Carlene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carlene by state
Where Carlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,202 | 7.9% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 745 | 4.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 726 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 564 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 556 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 552 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 519 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 416 | 2.7% |
California share of Carlene's total US births 7.9%
Even split
1,202 of 15,225 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Carlene appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carlene? ▼
Carlene has been given to 15,225 babies in the U.S. since 1895, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8462 as of the latest data. 370 babies were born in 1955, its single highest year.
When was Carlene most popular? ▼
Carlene was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,302 total births. The single peak year was 1955.
Where is Carlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carlene are California (1,202 births), Illinois (745 births), New York (726 births).
How long has the name Carlene been used? ▼
Records for Carlene go back to 1895, giving 131 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Carlene? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carol, Carolyn, Carrie, Caroline, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Carlene's data
- Carlene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (3,302 total births); usage has since declined to 60 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carlenes (1,202 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Carlene
Nearby Names Like Carlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carlene
Carol Girl
#2639 816,928 births
Carolyn Girl
#1160 556,777 births
Carrie Girl
#3013 266,350 births
Caroline Girl
#92 250,410 births
Carla Girl
#1009 150,390 births
Compare Carlene side by side: Carlene vs Carol Carlene vs Carolyn Carlene vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carlene
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, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carlene: #8462 Girls' Name - 15,225 Births, Peak 1955." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carlene. 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 Carlene 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.