Carolina
Carolina was the 405th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 769 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 254th with 1,270 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 27 places. More babies were named Carolina in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Charles ('man') · Latin, Germanic
Say it kar-uh-LY-nuh /ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/
- Rank in 2025
- #405 girls, up 45 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 769girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20041,270 babies
- Total since 1880
- 48,108babies recorded
What does the name Carolina mean?
Carolina is the Latin and Italian feminine diminutive of Carolus, Charles. DMNES derives Charles from Old High German karl, "man", related to Old English ceorl, "freeman". The two Carolinas in the US were named for King Charles I of England, as Wiktionary notes. Carolina is rare in English but common in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
Carolus (Latin, “Charles”)karl (Old High German, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Caroline, Carol, Charlotte, Lina.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Carolina', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Charles', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Carolina
The usual nicknames for Carolina are Caro and Lina. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Carolina in the last five years, 72 were named Lina, against 21 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caro · also for Caroline | Modern | — | — |
| Lina · also for Evelina, Adeline, Alina | Modern | #572 | 2,529 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Carolinas go by each one.
Carolina popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 137 since 1924.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #405 | 769 |
| 2020 | #450 | 684 |
| 2010 | #389 | 822 |
| 2000 | #267 | 1,204 |
| 1990 | #302 | 910 |
| 1980 | #467 | 455 |
| 1970 | #718 | 213 |
| 1960 | #865 | 143 |
| 1950 | #869 | 104 |
| 1940 | #803 | 78 |
| 1930 | #600 | 132 |
| 1920 | #623 | 132 |
| 1910 | #646 | 43 |
| 1900 | #533 | 40 |
| 1890 | #549 | 23 |
| 1880 | #470 | 13 |
How popular is Carolina, counting every spelling?
Carolina is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #348 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #405 for Carolina on its own. Together these spellings went to 952 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina | 769 | #405 | 3,490 |
| Karolina | 177 | #1,267 | 780 |
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 Carolina?
769 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Carolina (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Carolina 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 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Carolina.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Carolina?
About 42,600 people born in the US named Carolina are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 15 and 36. That makes Carolina mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Carolina by state
How common Carolina was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.7×), New Mexico (1.9×), Arizona (1.7×), California (1.6×), Florida (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oregon, Minnesota, Ohio.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Carolina: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Carolina, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Carolina · Sibling names for Carolina
Questions about the name Carolina
What does Carolina mean?
Carolina means “feminine of Charles ('man')” (Latin, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Carolina?
Carolina was the 405th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 769 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 254th with 1,270 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 27 places. More babies were named Carolina in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Carolina a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Carolina in the US.
Where is Carolina most popular?
In 2021–2025, Carolina was most common in Texas (1.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Arizona.