Total births
556,777
Girls' name · since 1880
Carolyn
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 556,777 babies named Carolyn, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1160
- among girls today
- 556,777
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Carolyn currently ranks #1160 among girls' names in America, with 556,777 babies recorded since 1880.
Carolyn has 556,777 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1160 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1160 among girls today
- 556,777 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carolyn is currently the #1160 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 556,777 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #1160
- among girls today
- 556,777
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Carolyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1160
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Carolyn was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
20,742 babies were named Carolyn in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Carolyn compares
556,777 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Carolyn's all-time total is 1,458x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carolyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 556,777 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 20,742 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carolyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Carolyn's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 40% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 60%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 58 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 20,742, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Carolyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1947
Current rank
#1,160
Active since
1880
Carolyn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 20,742
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Carolyn popularity over time - boys
1,620 total births recorded since 1915 (Carolyn as boys' name)
Carolyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Carolyn's strongest decade.
181,858 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Carolyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 856
1880s
856 births
- 1890s 1,401
1890s
1,401 births
- 1900s 2,009
1900s
2,009 births
- 1910s 8,940
1910s
8,940 births
- 1920s 22,776
1920s
22,776 births
- 1930s 69,525
1930s
69,525 births
- 1940s
1940s
181,858 births
- 1950s
1950s
124,067 births
- 1960s
1960s
75,266 births
- 1970s 27,046
1970s
27,046 births
- 1980s 18,628
1980s
18,628 births
- 1990s 12,884
1990s
12,884 births
- 2000s 6,737
2000s
6,737 births
- 2010s 3,482
2010s
3,482 births
- 2020s 1,302
2020s
1,302 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 181,858 births (33% of all-time use).
How Carolyn 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 Carolyn's total volume
Carolyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carolyn by state
Where Carolyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 34,462 | 6.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 33,054 | 5.9% |
| #3 | California | | 32,329 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 27,883 | 5.0% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 26,060 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 26,026 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 25,133 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 20,460 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Carolyn's total US births 6.2%
Even split
34,462 of 556,777 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Carolyn appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carolyn? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 556,777 babies named Carolyn. Today it holds rank #1160 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 20,742 births.
When was Carolyn most popular? ▼
Carolyn was most popular in the 1940s decade with 181,858 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Carolyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carolyn are Texas (34,462 births), New York (33,054 births), California (32,329 births).
How long has the name Carolyn been used? ▼
Records for Carolyn go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Carolyn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carol, Carrie, Caroline, Carla, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Carolyn's data
- Carolyn's decade-level peak was the 1940s (181,858 total births); usage has since declined to 1,302 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Carolyns (34,462 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Carolyn
Nearby Names Like Carolyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carolyn
Carol Girl
#2639 816,928 births
Carrie Girl
#3013 266,350 births
Caroline Girl
#92 250,410 births
Carla Girl
#1009 150,390 births
Carmen Girl
#417 142,795 births
Compare Carolyn side by side: Carolyn vs Carol Carolyn vs Carrie Carolyn vs Caroline
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carolyn
Grecia #1159
6,318 births · Peak 2006
Clarissa #1161
40,484 births · Peak 1995
Averi #1158
7,909 births · Peak 2015
Silvia #1162
21,272 births · Peak 1991
Shay #1157
8,227 births · Peak 2022
True #1163
2,186 births · Peak 2021
Carmela #1156
24,506 births · Peak 1923
Wrenly #1164
993 births · Peak 2024
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. "Carolyn: #1160 Girls' Name - 556,777 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carolyn. 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 Carolyn 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.