Total births
4,839
Boys' name · since 1880
Carleton
4,839 babies named Carleton in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1923. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 4,839
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 17%
- born in that decade
4,839 boys have been named Carleton since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Carleton has 4,839 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2023.
- 4,839 total births
- 1880–2023 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 17% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
4,839 boys have been named Carleton since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2023.
- 4,839
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 17%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Carleton was born in this single decade.
1923
Single peak year
103 babies were named Carleton in 1923 - its busiest year on record.
Carleton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Carleton splits its recorded history at 1948: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1923 peak of 103 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Carleton at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1923
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Carleton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1923)
- 103
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Carleton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Carleton's strongest decade.
830 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Carleton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 42
1880s
42 births
- 1890s 89
1890s
89 births
- 1900s 102
1900s
102 births
- 1910s
1910s
582 births
- 1920s
1920s
830 births
- 1930s
1930s
622 births
- 1940s
1940s
599 births
- 1950s
1950s
638 births
- 1960s
1960s
434 births
- 1970s
1970s
337 births
- 1980s 263
1980s
263 births
- 1990s 180
1990s
180 births
- 2000s 99
2000s
99 births
- 2010s 16
2010s
16 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 830 births (17% of all-time use).
How Carleton 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 Carleton's total volume
Carleton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Carleton by state
Where Carleton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 362 | 7.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 360 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Maine | | 313 | 6.5% |
| #4 | California | | 124 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 112 | 2.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 62 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 46 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Connecticut | | 38 | 0.8% |
Massachusetts share of Carleton's total US births 7.5%
Even split
362 of 4,839 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Carleton appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carleton? ▼
Carleton has been given to 4,839 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2023. 103 babies were born in 1923, its single highest year.
When was Carleton most popular? ▼
Carleton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 830 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Carleton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carleton are Massachusetts (362 births), New York (360 births), Maine (313 births).
How long has the name Carleton been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Carleton since 1880 -- 144 years through the most recent 2023 data.
What names are similar to Carleton? ▼
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 Carleton's data
- Carleton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (830 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Carletons (362 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts 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 Carleton
Nearby Names Like Carleton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carleton
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 Carleton side by side: Carleton vs Carl Carleton vs Carlos Carleton vs Carter
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1880–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carleton: Baby Name Since 1880 - 4,839 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carleton. 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 Carleton 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 July 2026.