Total births
47,971
Girls' name · since 1880
Carolina
Carolina has 47,971 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2004 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #431
- among girls today
- 47,971
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Carolina currently ranks #431 among girls' names in America, with 47,971 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Carolina recorded 47,971 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #431 nationally today, ahead of 98% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #431 among girls today
- 47,971 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carolina is currently the #431 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 47,971 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #431
- among girls today
- 47,971
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Carolina vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#431
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Carolina was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
1,270 babies were named Carolina in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Carolina compares
47,971 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Carolina's all-time total is 126x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carolina | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 47,971 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,270 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carolina's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Carolina's full recorded timeline at 1953, 89% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 11% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 10 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2004 peak of 1,270 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Carolina at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2004
Current rank
#431
Active since
1880
Carolina popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2004)
- 1,270
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Carolina popularity over time - boys
137 total births recorded since 1924 (Carolina as boys' name)
Carolina by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Carolina's strongest decade.
11,073 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Carolina births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 179
1880s
179 births
- 1890s 249
1890s
249 births
- 1900s 375
1900s
375 births
- 1910s 817
1910s
817 births
- 1920s 1,347
1920s
1,347 births
- 1930s 1,069
1930s
1,069 births
- 1940s 1,102
1940s
1,102 births
- 1950s 1,103
1950s
1,103 births
- 1960s 1,787
1960s
1,787 births
- 1970s 2,593
1970s
2,593 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,756 births
- 1990s
1990s
9,848 births
- 2000s
2000s
11,073 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,499 births
- 2020s 4,174
2020s
4,174 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 11,073 births (23% of all-time use).
How Carolina 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 Carolina's total volume
Carolina vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carolina by state
Where Carolina concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11,919 | 24.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11,377 | 23.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 3,596 | 7.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 2,718 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 2,025 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 1,378 | 2.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 1,231 | 2.6% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 963 | 2.0% |
California share of Carolina's total US births 24.8%
Even split
11,919 of 47,971 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Carolina appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carolina? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 47,971 babies named Carolina. Today it holds rank #431 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2004, with 1,270 births.
When was Carolina most popular? ▼
Carolina was most popular in the 2000s decade with 11,073 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Where is Carolina most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carolina are California (11,919 births), Texas (11,377 births), Florida (3,596 births).
How long has the name Carolina been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Carolina since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Carolina? ▼
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 Carolina's data
- Carolina's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (11,073 total births) through the 2020s (4,174) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Carolinas (11,919 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 Carolina
Nearby Names Like Carolina
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carolina
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 Carolina side by side: Carolina vs Carol Carolina vs Carolyn Carolina vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carolina
Dorothy #430
1,112,231 births · Peak 1924
Salem #432
6,491 births · Peak 2023
Florence #429
339,093 births · Peak 1918
Elisa #433
47,661 births · Peak 2012
Arleth #428
6,840 births · Peak 2025
Xiomara #434
12,239 births · Peak 2023
Emely #427
23,864 births · Peak 2008
Reign #435
7,989 births · Peak 2021
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carolina: #431 Girls' Name - 47,971 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carolina. 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 Carolina 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.