Girls' name · since 1901

Carole

Carole has 110,688 recorded births since 1901 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1942 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

110,688
total births
1901–2025
years on record
1940s
peak decade
45%
born in that decade

Carole is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 110,688 have been recorded since 1901.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carole has been recorded 110,688 times among girls since 1901, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1901 to 2025.

  • 110,688 total births
  • 1901–2025 years on record
  • 1940s peak decade
  • 45% born in that decade

Data updated Jun 2026

The verdict

110,688 girls have been named Carole since 1901, peaking in the 1940s, last recorded in 2025.

110,688
total births
1901–2025
years on record
1940s
peak decade
45%
born in that decade
1940s
Peak decade

45% of everyone ever named Carole was born in this single decade.

1942
Single peak year

8,407 babies were named Carole in 1942 - its busiest year on record.

Carole's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Carole's full recorded timeline at 1965, 7% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 93% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1901, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1942 peak of 8,407 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Carole at a glance

Last recorded 2025

Total births

110,688

Since 1901

125 years of records

Peak year

1942

8,407 births that year

Strongest decade: 1940s

Current rank

Unranked

Outside the modern top-1,000

As of 2025

Active since

1901

Recorded for 125 years

Last year on file: 2025

Carole popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1901–2025

Last recorded 2025
Peak year (1942)
8,407
Annual births at peak, across 125 years of records
-2,00002,0004,0006,0008,00010,000 190119231938195319681983199820132025 9

Carole popularity over time - boys

264 total births recorded since 1932 (Carole as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 264 births
010203040 1932193519381941194419471961 7

Carole by decade

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

1940s was Carole's strongest decade.

50,303 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.

Carole births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1940s at 50,303 births (45% of all-time use).

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

How Carole 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 Carole's total volume

Carole vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Carole vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8% 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 Carole
Carole vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Carole by state

Where Carole concentrates geographically, total births since 1901

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Carole
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
12,860 11.6%
#2 Pennsylvania
10,386 9.4%
#3 California
8,516 7.7%
#4 Illinois
8,080 7.3%
#5 Ohio
7,149 6.5%
#6 Michigan
6,102 5.5%
#7 Massachusetts
4,990 4.5%
#8 New Jersey
4,602 4.2%
New York share of Carole's total US births 11.6%
Even split

12,860 of 110,688 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.

Carole appears in 50 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Carole? ▼
110,688 babies have been named Carole since 1901. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1942 with 8,407 births.
When was Carole most popular? ▼
Carole was most popular in the 1940s decade with 50,303 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Carole most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carole are New York (12,860 births), Pennsylvania (10,386 births), California (8,516 births).
How long has the name Carole been used? ▼
Carole has been recorded in Social Security data since 1901, spanning 125 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carole? ▼
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 Carole's data

  • Carole's decade-level peak was the 1940s (50,303 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • New York records the most Caroles (12,860 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Carole

Nearby Names Like Carole

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

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 Carole side by side: Carole vs Carol Carole vs Carolyn Carole vs Carrie

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Bailey #182
110,806 births · Peak 1998
Gianna #23
110,315 births · Peak 2020
Vickie #9595
110,046 births · Peak 1956
Ana #204
111,359 births · Peak 1991
Aaliyah #95
109,971 births · Peak 2012
Cecilia #123
111,511 births · Peak 2025
Scarlett #27
111,687 births · Peak 2017
Joanna #329
111,761 births · Peak 1984

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, 1901–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carole: Baby Name Since 1901 - 110,688 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carole. 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 Carole 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.