Caroline
Caroline was the 96th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,646 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 55th; the most babies were born in 2000 (5,022). Over the last ten years it has moved down 34 places. More babies were named Caroline in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Charles: man, free man · French, Germanic
Say it KAIR-uh-lyn /ˈkɛrəlaɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #96 girls, down 25 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,646girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20005,022 babies
- Total since 1880
- 250,719babies recorded
What does the name Caroline mean?
Caroline is the French feminine form of Carolus, the Latin form of Charles, with the diminutive ending -ine. DMNES traces Charles to a Germanic word karl, 'man', related to Old English ceorl, 'freeman', and notes that Charlemagne made the name widespread. Wikipedia says Caroline came into English use in the 1600s, first among upper-class families in honor of Charles I and Charles II.
Carolus (Latin, “Charles”)karl (Old High German, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Carolina, Carolyn, Carol, Callie, Carrie, Charlotte.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Caroline', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Charles', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Caroline (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Caroline
The usual nicknames for Caroline are Carrie, Callie, Caro and Carol. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Caroline in the last five years, 58 were named Callie, against 21 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrie | Traditional | #2,726 | 330 |
| Callie · also for Calliope | Modern | #175 | 8,366 |
| Caro · also for Carolina | Modern | — | — |
| Carol | Traditional | #2,242 | 391 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Carolines go by each one.
Caroline popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 309 since 1891.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #96 | 2,646 |
| 2020 | #71 | 3,364 |
| 2010 | #88 | 3,360 |
| 2000 | #65 | 5,022 |
| 1990 | #116 | 2,819 |
| 1980 | #200 | 1,313 |
| 1970 | #229 | 1,371 |
| 1960 | #254 | 1,210 |
| 1950 | #257 | 879 |
| 1940 | #172 | 1,161 |
| 1930 | #172 | 1,160 |
| 1920 | #159 | 1,436 |
| 1910 | #146 | 553 |
| 1900 | #135 | 455 |
| 1890 | #94 | 455 |
| 1880 | #75 | 306 |
How popular is Caroline, counting every spelling?
Caroline is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #105 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #96 for Caroline on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,015 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline | 2,646 | #96 | 14,478 |
| Carolyn | 185 | #1,222 | 1,032 |
| Karoline | 119 | #1,718 | 476 |
| Carolynn | 45 | #3,409 | 198 |
| Carolyne | 9 | #10,260 | 46 |
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 Caroline?
2,646 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Caroline (0.73 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Caroline 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 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Caroline.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Caroline?
About 194,300 people born in the US named Caroline are alive today, with a median age of 26; half are between 14 and 42. That makes Caroline 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.
Caroline by state
How common Caroline was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (3.9×), Alabama (3.2×), Mississippi (2.7×), Kentucky (2.6×), Tennessee (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Hawaii, California, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Caroline: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Caroline, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Caroline · Sibling names for Caroline
Questions about the name Caroline
What does Caroline mean?
Caroline means “feminine of Charles: man, free man” (French, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Caroline?
Caroline was the 96th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,646 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 55th; the most babies were born in 2000 (5,022). Over the last ten years it has moved down 34 places. More babies were named Caroline in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Caroline a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Caroline in the US.
Where is Caroline most popular?
In 2021–2025, Caroline was most common in District of Columbia (7.00 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and Mississippi.