Total births
16,918
Girls' name · since 1921
Carley
Since 1921, U.S. Social Security records show 16,918 babies named Carley, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3054
- among girls today
- 16,918
- born since 1921
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Carley currently ranks #3054 among girls' names in America, with 16,918 babies recorded since 1921.
Social Security Administration records show Carley recorded 16,918 times among girls since 1921, holding rank #3054 nationally today, ahead of 83% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1921 to 2025.
- #3054 among girls today
- 16,918 born since 1921
- 1990s peak decade
- 83% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carley is currently the #3054 girls' name in America, more common than 83% of girls - 16,918 born since 1921, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3054
- among girls today
- 16,918
- born since 1921
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Carley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3054
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 83% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Carley was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
713 babies were named Carley in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Carley compares
16,918 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Carley's all-time total is 44x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,918 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 713 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Carley's SSA record in two at 1977 and the more recent half accounts for 96% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 4%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1921, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 713, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Carley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#3,054
Active since
1921
Carley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 713
- Annual births at peak, across 105 years of records
Carley popularity over time - boys
410 total births recorded since 1912 (Carley as boys' name)
Carley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Carley's strongest decade.
5,912 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Carley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 129
1920s
129 births
- 1930s 112
1930s
112 births
- 1940s 78
1940s
78 births
- 1950s 60
1950s
60 births
- 1960s 38
1960s
38 births
- 1970s 443
1970s
443 births
- 1980s 1,776
1980s
1,776 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,912 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,585 births
- 2010s 2,290
2010s
2,290 births
- 2020s 495
2020s
495 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 5,912 births (35% of all-time use).
How Carley 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 Carley's total volume
Carley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carley by state
Where Carley concentrates geographically, total births since 1921
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,254 | 7.4% |
| #2 | California | | 1,053 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 895 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 770 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 658 | 3.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 627 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Florida | | 624 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 534 | 3.2% |
Texas share of Carley's total US births 7.4%
Even split
1,254 of 16,918 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Carley appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carley? ▼
Carley has been given to 16,918 babies in the U.S. since 1921, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3054 as of the latest data. 713 babies were born in 1998, its single highest year.
When was Carley most popular? ▼
Carley was most popular in the 1990s decade with 5,912 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Carley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carley are Texas (1,254 births), California (1,053 births), Pennsylvania (895 births).
How long has the name Carley been used? ▼
Carley has been recorded in Social Security data since 1921, spanning 105 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carley? ▼
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 Carley's data
- Carley's decade-level peak was the 1990s (5,912 total births); usage has since declined to 495 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Carleys (1,254 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 Carley
Nearby Names Like Carley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carley
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 Carley side by side: Carley vs Carol Carley vs Carolyn Carley vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carley
Truly #3053
1,092 births · Peak 2025
Randi #3055
29,663 births · Peak 1982
Adria #3052
6,506 births · Peak 1979
Maricela #3056
13,077 births · Peak 1977
Joann #3051
156,892 births · Peak 1942
Melisa #3057
19,111 births · Peak 1979
Rafaela #3050
3,516 births · Peak 2011
Amity #3058
2,163 births · Peak 1979
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, 1921–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carley: #3054 Girls' Name - 16,918 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carley. 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 Carley 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.