Carlton
Carlton was given to 43 boys in 2025, #2,892 among boys’ names; 49,167 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 28,300 Americans named Carlton and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (58% of everyone recorded); the median is 56 years old and half are between 39 and 68.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Carlton by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
How popular is Carlton?
#2,892 among boys’ names, 2025
Carlton fell from #1,617 in 2015 to #2,892 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 51.7 to 25.2 per million.
962 babies in 1957, the peak
Carlton peaked in 1957, when 962 babies were given it (955 boys, #246 among boys’ names). The 43 births of 2025 are 4% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43 | #2,892 | 0.03 |
| 2024 | 46 | #2,797 | 0.03 |
| 2023 | 48 | #2,701 | 0.03 |
| 2022 | 37 | #3,220 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 55 | #2,442 | 0.03 |
| 2020 | 61 | #2,241 | 0.04 |
| 2019 | 69 | #2,089 | 0.04 |
| 2018 | 64 | #2,173 | 0.04 |
| 2017 | 72 | #1,978 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 82 | #1,831 | 0.04 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 99 | #1,617 | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 88 | #1,714 | 0.05 |
| 2013 | 87 | #1,697 | 0.05 |
| 2012 | 100 | #1,577 | 0.05 |
| 2011 | 102 | #1,547 | 0.05 |
| 2010 | 122 | #1,377 | 0.06 |
| 2009 | 114 | #1,459 | 0.06 |
| 2008 | 128 | #1,345 | 0.06 |
| 2007 | 146 | #1,207 | 0.07 |
| 2006 | 143 | #1,178 | 0.07 |
| 2005 | 180 | #968 | 0.09 |
| 2004 | 137 | #1,145 | 0.07 |
| 2003 | 154 | #1,024 | 0.08 |
| 2002 | 175 | #916 | 0.09 |
| 2001 | 208 | #805 | 0.11 |
| 2000 | 225 | #749 | 0.11 |
| 1999 | 224 | #728 | 0.12 |
| 1998 | 246 | #687 | 0.13 |
| 1997 | 269 | #631 | 0.14 |
| 1996 | 284 | #615 | 0.15 |
| 1995 | 328 | #565 | 0.17 |
| 1994 | 356 | #545 | 0.18 |
| 1993 | 396 | #516 | 0.20 |
| 1992 | 437 | #480 | 0.22 |
| 1991 | 469 | #455 | 0.23 |
| 1990 | 529 | #424 | 0.26 |
| 1989 | 478 | #431 | 0.24 |
| 1988 | 381 | #467 | 0.20 |
| 1987 | 352 | #474 | 0.19 |
| 1986 | 376 | #449 | 0.20 |
| 1985 | 378 | #438 | 0.20 |
| 1984 | 367 | #438 | 0.20 |
| 1983 | 383 | #418 | 0.21 |
| 1982 | 444 | #383 | 0.24 |
| 1981 | 392 | #419 | 0.22 |
| 1980 | 442 | #389 | 0.25 |
| 1979 | 469 | #368 | 0.27 |
| 1978 | 436 | #368 | 0.27 |
| 1977 | 465 | #365 | 0.28 |
| 1976 | 397 | #388 | 0.25 |
| 1975 | 496 | #346 | 0.32 |
| 1974 | 450 | #364 | 0.29 |
| 1973 | 477 | #350 | 0.31 |
| 1972 | 464 | #363 | 0.29 |
| 1971 | 595 | #317 | 0.34 |
| 1970 | 584 | #327 | 0.31 |
| 1969 | 511 | #351 | 0.29 |
| 1968 | 601 | #305 | 0.35 |
| 1967 | 613 | #297 | 0.35 |
| 1966 | 650 | #293 | 0.36 |
| 1965 | 639 | #296 | 0.34 |
| 1964 | 777 | #279 | 0.39 |
| 1963 | 762 | #280 | 0.38 |
| 1962 | 815 | #269 | 0.39 |
| 1961 | 768 | #280 | 0.36 |
| 1960 | 849 | #274 | 0.40 |
| 1959 | 813 | #278 | 0.38 |
| 1958 | 887 | #260 | 0.42 |
| 1957 | 955 | #246 | 0.44 |
| 1956 | 908 | #242 | 0.43 |
| 1955 | 874 | #238 | 0.42 |
| 1954 | 833 | #241 | 0.41 |
| 1953 | 718 | #259 | 0.36 |
| 1952 | 698 | #259 | 0.36 |
| 1951 | 665 | #259 | 0.35 |
| 1950 | 569 | #277 | 0.32 |
| 1949 | 584 | #281 | 0.33 |
| 1948 | 547 | #293 | 0.31 |
| 1947 | 637 | #267 | 0.35 |
| 1946 | 542 | #277 | 0.33 |
| 1945 | 500 | #262 | 0.37 |
| 1944 | 485 | #270 | 0.36 |
| 1943 | 548 | #257 | 0.38 |
| 1942 | 516 | #260 | 0.37 |
| 1941 | 510 | #246 | 0.42 |
| 1940 | 492 | #244 | 0.42 |
| 1939 | 494 | #236 | 0.45 |
| 1938 | 538 | #223 | 0.49 |
| 1937 | 548 | #217 | 0.51 |
| 1936 | 483 | #234 | 0.47 |
| 1935 | 491 | #239 | 0.47 |
| 1934 | 477 | #240 | 0.46 |
| 1933 | 491 | #234 | 0.50 |
| 1932 | 525 | #228 | 0.50 |
| 1931 | 503 | #232 | 0.48 |
| 1930 | 471 | #258 | 0.43 |
| 1929 | 502 | #246 | 0.47 |
| 1928 | 551 | #234 | 0.50 |
| 1927 | 483 | #262 | 0.43 |
| 1926 | 483 | #255 | 0.43 |
| 1925 | 448 | #270 | 0.40 |
| 1924 | 430 | #275 | 0.38 |
| 1923 | 450 | #265 | 0.41 |
| 1922 | 447 | #267 | 0.41 |
| 1921 | 480 | #259 | 0.44 |
| 1920 | 440 | #260 | 0.41 |
| 1919 | 397 | #266 | 0.41 |
| 1918 | 432 | #258 | 0.43 |
| 1917 | 388 | #258 | 0.42 |
| 1916 | 395 | #251 | 0.44 |
| 1915 | 349 | #257 | 0.41 |
| 1914 | 283 | #258 | 0.43 |
| 1913 | 198 | #275 | 0.39 |
| 1912 | 201 | #248 | 0.47 |
| 1911 | 108 | #247 | 0.48 |
| 1910 | 89 | #257 | 0.46 |
| 1909 | 61 | #290 | 0.37 |
| 1908 | 48 | #317 | 0.31 |
| 1907 | 49 | #304 | 0.33 |
| 1906 | 49 | #287 | 0.37 |
| 1905 | 48 | #286 | 0.36 |
| 1904 | 47 | #276 | 0.37 |
| 1903 | 33 | #330 | 0.28 |
| 1902 | 37 | #320 | 0.30 |
| 1901 | 41 | #267 | 0.39 |
| 1900 | 38 | #355 | 0.25 |
| 1899 | 31 | #316 | 0.29 |
| 1898 | 31 | #348 | 0.25 |
| 1897 | 28 | #354 | 0.25 |
| 1896 | 31 | #340 | 0.26 |
| 1895 | 27 | #361 | 0.23 |
| 1894 | 30 | #323 | 0.26 |
| 1893 | 21 | #392 | 0.19 |
| 1892 | 21 | #415 | 0.17 |
| 1891 | 22 | #365 | 0.22 |
| 1890 | 17 | #440 | 0.15 |
| 1889 | 29 | #322 | 0.26 |
| 1888 | 19 | #431 | 0.16 |
| 1887 | 13 | #494 | 0.13 |
| 1886 | 22 | #369 | 0.20 |
| 1885 | 18 | #424 | 0.17 |
| 1884 | 20 | #401 | 0.17 |
| 1883 | 19 | #405 | 0.18 |
| 1882 | 21 | #391 | 0.18 |
| 1881 | 16 | #432 | 0.16 |
| 1880 | 13 | #507 | 0.12 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Carlton a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Carlton has been given almost only to boys: 277 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Carlton: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Carlton, and how old are they?
28,300 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 58% of the 49,167 Americans ever recorded as Carlton. The median Carlton alive today is 56 years old; half are between 39 and 68.
The 2020 Census counted 27,700 people named Carlton (153 women and girls, 27,547 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 31,175 born in the U.S. The Census count is 11% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,780 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 9,610 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 7,340 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 6,080 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 2,620 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 845 |
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 Carlton born?
The states with the most babies named Carlton are New York, Georgia and North Carolina, with 27% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4,153 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Georgia | 3,976 | #1,385 | 2.9× |
| North Carolina | 3,649 | not ranked | 2.5× |
| Virginia | 3,469 | not ranked | 3.1× |
| Texas | 3,217 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Florida | 2,698 | not ranked | 2.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 1,690 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Alabama | 1,667 | not ranked | 1.6× |
| California | 1,641 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Louisiana | 1,585 | not ranked | 1.6× |
Where Carlton is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Carlton is most over-represented in Virginia: since 1910 it was given 3.1 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 Carlton 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 3 names spelled alike, given to 55,535 babies since 1880, Carlton is the most given (89% of them). In 2025 it was given to 43 of their 43 babies (100%), again the 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.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Carlton
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Carlton and names like it
- Compare Carlton and CarletonBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sCarlton peaked in 1957.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Carlton since 1910.
- The top names of 1957The year the most babies were named Carlton.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Carlton alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with CMost given first.