Carlton
Carlton was the 2893rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 43 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 217th; the most babies were born in 1957 (955). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,276 places. More babies were named Carlton in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning "settlement of free peasants" · Old English, English
Say it KARL-tun /ˈkɑrltən/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,893 boys, down 652 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 43boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1957955 babies
- Total since 1880
- 49,167babies recorded
What does the name Carlton mean?
Carlton is an English place-name and surname from Old English ceorl, "free peasant, freeman", and tūn, "farmstead, settlement". The hard k sound, instead of the ch in the related Charlton, reflects Old Norse influence in areas of Viking settlement. It became a first name in the 19th century and was most common in the US in the 1930s to 1950s.
ċeorl (Old English, “freeman, free peasant”)tūn (Old English, “farmstead, settlement”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Charlton, Carl, Carleton.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Carlton', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Carlton (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Carlton
The usual nicknames for Carlton are Carl. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Carlton in the last five years, 481 were named Carl, against 450 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carl | Traditional | #1,134 | 1,102 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Carltons go by each one.
Carlton popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 277 since 1920.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,893 | 43 |
| 2020 | #2,241 | 61 |
| 2010 | #1,377 | 122 |
| 2000 | #750 | 225 |
| 1990 | #425 | 529 |
| 1980 | #389 | 442 |
| 1970 | #327 | 584 |
| 1960 | #274 | 849 |
| 1950 | #277 | 569 |
| 1940 | #244 | 492 |
| 1930 | #258 | 471 |
| 1920 | #260 | 440 |
| 1910 | #257 | 89 |
| 1900 | #355 | 38 |
| 1890 | #440 | 17 |
| 1880 | #507 | 13 |
How popular is Carlton, counting every spelling?
Carlton is the most common spelling of a name family that had 43 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 43 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton | 43 | #2,893 | 229 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Carlton?
43 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Carlton (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Carlton born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 195 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Carlton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Carlton?
About 28,100 people born in the US named Carlton are alive today, with a median age of 56; half are between 39 and 68. That makes Carlton a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Carlton by state
How common Carlton was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (1.8×). In 45 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Carlton: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Carlton, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Carlton · Sibling names for Carlton
Questions about the name Carlton
What does Carlton mean?
Carlton means “"settlement of free peasants"” (Old English, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Carlton?
Carlton was the 2893rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 43 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 217th; the most babies were born in 1957 (955). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,276 places. More babies were named Carlton in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Carlton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Carlton in the US.
Where is Carlton most popular?
In 2021–2025, Carlton was most common in Georgia (0.05 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Virginia.