Total births
5,957
Girls' name · since 1912
Karolyn
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 5,957 babies named Karolyn, peaking in 1946. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5628
- among girls today
- 5,957
- born since 1912
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Karolyn is the #5628 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 5,957 recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Karolyn recorded 5,957 times among girls since 1912, holding rank #5628 nationally today, ahead of 68% of girls, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #5628 among girls today
- 5,957 born since 1912
- 1940s peak decade
- 68% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karolyn is currently the #5628 girls' name in America, more common than 68% of girls - 5,957 born since 1912, peaking in the 1940s.
- #5628
- among girls today
- 5,957
- born since 1912
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other girls
Karolyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5628
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 68% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Karolyn was born in this single decade.
1946
Single peak year
167 babies were named Karolyn in 1946 - its busiest year on record.
How Karolyn compares
5,957 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Karolyn's all-time total is 16x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karolyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,957 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 167 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karolyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Karolyn's SSA record in two at 1969 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 1913, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1946 peak of 167, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Karolyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1946
Current rank
#5,628
Active since
1912
Karolyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1946)
- 167
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Karolyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Karolyn's strongest decade.
1,355 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Karolyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 47
1910s
47 births
- 1920s 111
1920s
111 births
- 1930s 472
1930s
472 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,355 births
- 1950s
1950s
791 births
- 1960s
1960s
869 births
- 1970s
1970s
651 births
- 1980s 470
1980s
470 births
- 1990s 468
1990s
468 births
- 2000s 360
2000s
360 births
- 2010s 252
2010s
252 births
- 2020s 111
2020s
111 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 1,355 births (23% of all-time use).
How Karolyn 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 Karolyn's total volume
Karolyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karolyn by state
Where Karolyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 445 | 7.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 272 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 249 | 4.2% |
| #4 | New York | | 228 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Iowa | | 169 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 156 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 136 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Kansas | | 113 | 1.9% |
California share of Karolyn's total US births 7.5%
Even split
445 of 5,957 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Karolyn appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karolyn? ▼
Since 1912, Social Security records show 5,957 babies named Karolyn. Today it holds rank #5628 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1946, with 167 births.
When was Karolyn most popular? ▼
Karolyn was most popular in the 1940s decade with 1,355 total births. The single peak year was 1946.
Where is Karolyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karolyn are California (445 births), Texas (272 births), Michigan (249 births).
How long has the name Karolyn been used? ▼
Karolyn has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 114 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Karolyn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Karolyn's data
- Karolyn's decade-level peak was the 1940s (1,355 total births); usage has since declined to 111 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karolyns (445 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 Karolyn
Nearby Names Like Karolyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karolyn
Karen Girl
#1251 987,989 births
Kara Girl
#990 101,743 births
Karla Girl
#733 91,586 births
Karina Girl
#772 61,464 births
Kari Girl
#1843 59,696 births
Compare Karolyn side by side: Karolyn vs Karen Karolyn vs Kara Karolyn vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karolyn
Romelia #5627
1,623 births · Peak 1954
Adair #5629
1,420 births · Peak 2014
Roselia #5626
835 births · Peak 2021
Tomi #5630
2,812 births · Peak 1977
Bruna #5625
1,069 births · Peak 1920
Abbey #5631
17,509 births · Peak 1999
Angelyn #5624
2,737 births · Peak 2007
Josefine #5632
707 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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karolyn: #5628 Girls' Name - 5,957 Births, Peak 1946." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karolyn. 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 Karolyn 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.