Total births
4,306
Girls' name · since 1900
Carlyn
Carlyn has 4,306 recorded births since 1900 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6416
- among girls today
- 4,306
- born since 1900
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 64%
- more common than other girls
Carlyn currently ranks #6416 among girls' names in America, with 4,306 babies recorded since 1900.
Carlyn has 4,306 recorded births among girls since 1900, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6416 as of the latest data, more common than 64% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1900 to 2025.
- #6416 among girls today
- 4,306 born since 1900
- 1990s peak decade
- 64% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carlyn is currently the #6416 girls' name in America, more common than 64% of girls - 4,306 born since 1900, peaking in the 1990s.
- #6416
- among girls today
- 4,306
- born since 1900
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 64%
- more common than other girls
Carlyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6416
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 64% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Carlyn was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
74 babies were named Carlyn in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Carlyn compares
4,306 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Carlyn's all-time total is 11x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carlyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,306 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 74 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carlyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Carlyn's SSA record in two at 1966 and the more recent half accounts for 59% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 41%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1900, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1992 peak of 74, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Carlyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#6,416
Active since
1900
Carlyn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1900–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 74
- Annual births at peak, across 126 years of records
Carlyn popularity over time - boys
67 total births recorded since 1924 (Carlyn as boys' name)
Carlyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Carlyn's strongest decade.
614 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Carlyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 22
1900s
22 births
- 1910s 105
1910s
105 births
- 1920s 184
1920s
184 births
- 1930s
1930s
270 births
- 1940s
1940s
486 births
- 1950s
1950s
417 births
- 1960s
1960s
437 births
- 1970s
1970s
320 births
- 1980s
1980s
567 births
- 1990s
1990s
614 births
- 2000s
2000s
505 births
- 2010s
2010s
302 births
- 2020s 77
2020s
77 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 614 births (14% of all-time use).
How Carlyn 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 Carlyn's total volume
Carlyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carlyn by state
Where Carlyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1900
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 242 | 5.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 123 | 2.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 58 | 1.3% |
| #4 | New York | | 49 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 37 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 34 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Maryland | | 31 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Florida | | 22 | 0.5% |
California share of Carlyn's total US births 5.6%
Even split
242 of 4,306 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Carlyn appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carlyn? ▼
Since 1900, Social Security records show 4,306 babies named Carlyn. Today it holds rank #6416 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1992, with 74 births.
When was Carlyn most popular? ▼
Carlyn was most popular in the 1990s decade with 614 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Carlyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carlyn are California (242 births), Texas (123 births), Pennsylvania (58 births).
How long has the name Carlyn been used? ▼
Carlyn has been recorded in Social Security data since 1900, spanning 126 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carlyn? ▼
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 Carlyn's data
- Carlyn's decade-level peak was the 1990s (614 total births); usage has since declined to 77 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carlyns (242 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 Carlyn
Nearby Names Like Carlyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carlyn
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 Carlyn side by side: Carlyn vs Carol Carlyn vs Carolyn Carlyn vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carlyn
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, 1900–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carlyn: #6416 Girls' Name - 4,306 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carlyn. 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 Carlyn 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.