Carol
Carol was the 2242nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 82 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 4th; the most babies were born in 1946 (34,284). Over the last ten years it has moved down 472 places. More babies were named Carol in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Caroline; also male Carolus · English, Germanic, Latin
Say it KAIR-ul /ˈkɛɹəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,242 girls, down 331 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 82girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194634,284 babies
- Total since 1880
- 825,584babies recorded
What does the name Carol mean?
As a girls' name Carol is a short form of Caroline, the feminine of Charles, and Wiktionary notes it was associated by folk etymology with the English word carol, a Christmas song. As a boys' name it comes from Latin Carolus (Charles), also used in Romania and Poland. Charles comes from a Germanic word for 'man, free man' (compare Old English ceorl). Carol was very popular for American girls in the 1930s and 1940s.
Carolus (Latin, “Charles”)*karlaz (Proto-Germanic, “man, free man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: From the Christmas carol.
Related names: Caroline, Carole, Carroll, Charles, Karol.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Carol', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Charles', DMNES (Durham University)
Carol popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 8,656 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,242 | 82 |
| 2020 | #1,911 | 100 |
| 2010 | #1,495 | 150 |
| 2000 | #719 | 322 |
| 1990 | #349 | 762 |
| 1980 | #232 | 1,105 |
| 1970 | #71 | 5,064 |
| 1960 | #23 | 17,463 |
| 1950 | #9 | 26,163 |
| 1940 | #6 | 21,759 |
| 1930 | #54 | 4,598 |
| 1920 | #182 | 1,140 |
| 1910 | #285 | 185 |
| 1900 | #397 | 70 |
| 1890 | #510 | 26 |
| 1880 | #685 | 7 |
How popular is Carol, counting every spelling?
Carol is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,431 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,242 for Carol on its own. Together these spellings went to 136 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carol | 82 | #2,242 | 391 |
| Karol | 45 | #3,426 | 258 |
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 Carol?
82 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Carol (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Carol 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 102 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Carol.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Carol?
About 508,100 people born in the US named Carol are alive today, with a median age of 73; half are between 66 and 80. That makes Carol 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.
Carol by state
How common Carol was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 45 states fewer than five girls 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 Carol: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Carol, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Carol · Sibling names for Carol
Carol is also a nickname for Caroline.
Questions about the name Carol
What does Carol mean?
Carol means “short form of Caroline; also male Carolus” (English, Germanic, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Carol?
Carol was the 2242nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 82 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 4th; the most babies were born in 1946 (34,284). Over the last ten years it has moved down 472 places. More babies were named Carol in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Carol a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Carol in the US.
Where is Carol most popular?
In 2021–2025, Carol was most common in Texas (0.06 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and California.