Total births
6,453
Girls' name · since 1917
Carolynn
6,453 babies named Carolynn in U.S. Social Security records since 1917, with the highest year being 1942. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3769
- among girls today
- 6,453
- born since 1917
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Carolynn is the #3769 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 6,453 recorded since 1917.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carolynn has been recorded 6,453 times among girls since 1917, currently ranked #3769 nationally and more common than 79% of girls, 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 1917 to 2025.
- #3769 among girls today
- 6,453 born since 1917
- 1940s peak decade
- 79% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Carolynn is currently the #3769 girls' name in America, more common than 79% of girls - 6,453 born since 1917, peaking in the 1940s.
- #3769
- among girls today
- 6,453
- born since 1917
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Carolynn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3769
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 79% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Carolynn was born in this single decade.
1942
Single peak year
169 babies were named Carolynn in 1942 - its busiest year on record.
How Carolynn compares
6,453 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Carolynn's all-time total is 17x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carolynn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,453 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 169 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carolynn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Carolynn's full recorded timeline at 1972, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1918, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1942 peak of 169 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Carolynn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1942
Current rank
#3,769
Active since
1917
Carolynn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1942)
- 169
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Carolynn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Carolynn's strongest decade.
1,467 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Carolynn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 21
1910s
21 births
- 1920s 96
1920s
96 births
- 1930s 435
1930s
435 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,467 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,000 births
- 1960s
1960s
792 births
- 1970s 540
1970s
540 births
- 1980s 519
1980s
519 births
- 1990s 454
1990s
454 births
- 2000s 449
2000s
449 births
- 2010s 440
2010s
440 births
- 2020s 240
2020s
240 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 1,467 births (23% of all-time use).
How Carolynn 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 Carolynn's total volume
Carolynn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carolynn by state
Where Carolynn concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 627 | 9.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 301 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 285 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 247 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 226 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 174 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 111 | 1.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 103 | 1.6% |
California share of Carolynn's total US births 9.7%
Even split
627 of 6,453 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Carolynn appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carolynn? ▼
Since 1917, Social Security records show 6,453 babies named Carolynn. Today it holds rank #3769 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1942, with 169 births.
When was Carolynn most popular? ▼
Carolynn was most popular in the 1940s decade with 1,467 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Carolynn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carolynn are California (627 births), New York (301 births), Michigan (285 births).
How long has the name Carolynn been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Carolynn since 1917 -- 109 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Carolynn? ▼
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 Carolynn's data
- Carolynn's decade-level peak was the 1940s (1,467 total births); usage has since declined to 240 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carolynns (627 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 Carolynn
Nearby Names Like Carolynn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carolynn
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 Carolynn side by side: Carolynn vs Carol Carolynn vs Carolyn Carolynn vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carolynn
Adelaine #3768
652 births · Peak 2020
Leann #3770
24,356 births · Peak 1963
Maribelle #3767
1,457 births · Peak 2023
Starla #3771
8,231 births · Peak 1980
Arlee #3766
1,267 births · Peak 2023
Jorja #3772
2,943 births · Peak 2006
Vanna #3765
2,009 births · Peak 1986
Rocky #3773
447 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carolynn: #3769 Girls' Name - 6,453 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carolynn. 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 Carolynn 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 July 2026.