Unisex name · since 1892

Carlyle

Since 1892, U.S. Social Security records show 3,856 babies named Carlyle, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#2,153 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#4,866 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
3,856
born since 1892
1920s
peak decade

Carlyle currently ranks #4866 among unisex names in America, with 3,856 babies recorded since 1892.

Social Security Administration records show Carlyle recorded 3,856 times among boys since 1892, holding rank #4866 nationally today, ahead of 65% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1892 to 2025.

  • #2,153 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #4,866 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 3,856 born since 1892
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carlyle ranks #2,153 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,866 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,856 born since 1892, peaking in the 1920s.

#2,153 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#4,866 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
3,856
born since 1892
1920s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%65%
Carlyle vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Carlyle's 3,856 recorded births place it above 95.26% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

19 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

19 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.

How Carlyle compares

3,856 Top 15% higher than 85% of 13,930 names currently given to boys

Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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

Carlyle's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Carlyle Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 3,856 369 358,536
Peak-year births 115 34 22,252

Carlyle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Carlyle splits its recorded history at 1963: 26% of all births land in the more recent half, 74% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1892 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 115 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Carlyle popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1892–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1918)
115
Annual births at peak, across 134 years of records
050100150 189219161932194819641980199620122025 20

Carlyle popularity over time - girls

215 total births recorded since 1914 (Carlyle as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 215 births
4681012 191419431991199519992007201620212023 8

Carlyle by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (791 births, 21% of the file).

1920s was Carlyle's strongest decade.

791 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.

Carlyle births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 791 births (21% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Carlyle 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 Carlyle's total volume

Carlyle vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10%12% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -45, 4.8%-75, 3.5%-140, 3.1%-145, 2.3%-109, 6%-122, 2.3%-38, 7.3%-51, 9.8%-146, 2.4%-56, 4.5%-114, 6.7%-146, 1.7%-128, 2%-56, 7.2%-54, 7.3%Carlyle-134, 3%Carlyle
Carlyle vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Carlyle by state

Where Carlyle concentrates geographically, total births since 1892

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Carlyle
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
185 4.8%
#2 North Carolina
107 2.8%
#3 Illinois
89 2.3%
#4 Virginia
87 2.3%
#5 Pennsylvania
77 2.0%
#6 Michigan
62 1.6%
#7 Minnesota
61 1.6%
#8 Iowa
51 1.3%
New York share of Carlyle's total US births 4.8%
Even split

185 of 3,856 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.

Carlyle appears in 19 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Carlyle? ▼
Carlyle has been given to 3,856 babies in the U.S. since 1892, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #2,153 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Among boys in 2025, it is #4,866 of 13,930. 115 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
Where does Carlyle sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carlyle ranks #2,153 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,866 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Carlyle most popular? ▼
Carlyle was most popular in the 1920s decade with 791 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Carlyle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carlyle are New York (185 births), North Carolina (107 births), Illinois (89 births).
Is Carlyle a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carlyle is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 3,856 births, and as a girl's name it has 215 births.
How long has the name Carlyle been used? ▼
Records for Carlyle go back to 1892, giving 134 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Carlyle? ▼
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 Carlyle's data

  • Carlyle's decade-level peak was the 1920s (791 total births); usage has since declined to 113 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • New York records the most Carlyles (185 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Carlyle

Nearby Names Like Carlyle

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carlyle

Carl Boy
#1132 504,827 births
Carlos Boy
#150 307,036 births
Carter Boy
#45 206,833 births
Carson Boy
#124 132,774 births
Carlton Boy
#2884 48,890 births

Compare Carlyle side by side: Carlyle vs Carl Carlyle vs Carlos Carlyle vs Carter

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Carlyle

Zebulon #4865
2,149 births · Peak 1979
Russ #4867
6,131 births · Peak 1959
Nils #4864
3,083 births · Peak 1970
Kemp #4868
1,306 births · Peak 1957
Florencio #4863
3,090 births · Peak 1924
Artis #4869
5,377 births · Peak 1951
Elwin #4862
5,176 births · Peak 1923
Gennaro #4870
2,542 births · Peak 1926

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Carlyle: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1892–2025 (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 Carlyle 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.