Girl nameCurrently #92 in the USFalling
Caroline
KAIR-uh-lyn//ˈkærəlaɪn//
3 syllablesPeak year: 20008 lettersStarts with C
Meaning & origin
Free man (feminine of Charles)
Caroline is a French-influenced feminine form of Charles, sharing its Germanic root meaning 'free man'. Worn by numerous European queens and princesses, it has a graceful, old-world elegance that has kept it in steady use across the English-speaking world for centuries.
Caroline's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Caroline |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 306 |
| 1881 | 316 |
| 1882 | 304 |
| 1883 | 321 |
| 1884 | 380 |
| 1885 | 399 |
| 1886 | 370 |
| 1887 | 398 |
| 1888 | 458 |
| 1889 | 491 |
| 1890 | 455 |
| 1891 | 407 |
| 1892 | 476 |
| 1893 | 483 |
| 1894 | 473 |
| 1895 | 484 |
| 1896 | 437 |
| 1897 | 456 |
| 1898 | 441 |
| 1899 | 393 |
| 1900 | 455 |
| 1901 | 406 |
| 1902 | 452 |
| 1903 | 389 |
| 1904 | 429 |
| 1905 | 407 |
| 1906 | 409 |
| 1907 | 437 |
| 1908 | 449 |
| 1909 | 443 |
| 1910 | 553 |
| 1911 | 550 |
| 1912 | 785 |
| 1913 | 805 |
| 1914 | 996 |
| 1915 | 1,402 |
| 1916 | 1,385 |
| 1917 | 1,368 |
| 1918 | 1,458 |
| 1919 | 1,301 |
| 1920 | 1,436 |
| 1921 | 1,425 |
| 1922 | 1,269 |
| 1923 | 1,309 |
| 1924 | 1,302 |
| 1925 | 1,193 |
| 1926 | 1,217 |
| 1927 | 1,167 |
| 1928 | 1,197 |
| 1929 | 1,192 |
| 1930 | 1,165 |
| 1931 | 1,125 |
| 1932 | 1,109 |
| 1933 | 1,050 |
| 1934 | 1,069 |
| 1935 | 1,048 |
| 1936 | 1,075 |
| 1937 | 1,101 |
| 1938 | 1,115 |
| 1939 | 1,010 |
| 1940 | 1,169 |
| 1941 | 1,173 |
| 1942 | 1,395 |
| 1943 | 1,353 |
| 1944 | 1,212 |
| 1945 | 1,015 |
| 1946 | 1,090 |
| 1947 | 1,150 |
| 1948 | 1,080 |
| 1949 | 1,001 |
| 1950 | 879 |
| 1951 | 919 |
| 1952 | 916 |
| 1953 | 885 |
| 1954 | 771 |
| 1955 | 742 |
| 1956 | 702 |
| 1957 | 1,137 |
| 1958 | 990 |
| 1959 | 1,044 |
| 1960 | 1,214 |
| 1961 | 2,205 |
| 1962 | 1,994 |
| 1963 | 1,690 |
| 1964 | 2,106 |
| 1965 | 1,820 |
| 1966 | 1,551 |
| 1967 | 1,450 |
| 1968 | 1,412 |
| 1969 | 1,352 |
| 1970 | 1,371 |
| 1971 | 1,215 |
| 1972 | 1,071 |
| 1973 | 1,120 |
| 1974 | 1,204 |
| 1975 | 1,231 |
| 1976 | 1,233 |
| 1977 | 1,204 |
| 1978 | 1,313 |
| 1979 | 1,359 |
| 1980 | 1,318 |
| 1981 | 1,400 |
| 1982 | 1,544 |
| 1983 | 1,484 |
| 1984 | 1,642 |
| 1985 | 1,756 |
| 1986 | 1,807 |
| 1987 | 2,058 |
| 1988 | 2,334 |
| 1989 | 2,691 |
| 1990 | 2,833 |
| 1991 | 2,843 |
| 1992 | 3,183 |
| 1993 | 3,083 |
| 1994 | 3,459 |
| 1995 | 3,799 |
| 1996 | 4,466 |
| 1997 | 4,444 |
| 1998 | 4,282 |
| 1999 | 4,480 |
| 2000 | 5,029 |
| 2001 | 4,872 |
| 2002 | 4,657 |
| 2003 | 4,585 |
| 2004 | 4,392 |
| 2005 | 3,980 |
| 2006 | 3,791 |
| 2007 | 3,408 |
| 2008 | 3,555 |
| 2009 | 3,624 |
| 2010 | 3,360 |
| 2011 | 3,370 |
| 2012 | 3,420 |
| 2013 | 3,983 |
| 2014 | 4,353 |
| 2015 | 4,333 |
| 2016 | 4,437 |
| 2017 | 4,294 |
| 2018 | 4,167 |
| 2019 | 3,919 |
| 2020 | 3,362 |
| 2021 | 3,202 |
| 2022 | 3,029 |
| 2023 | 2,868 |
| 2024 | 2,720 |
Caroline through the decades
- Caroline peaked in 2000, when 5,029 babies were named Caroline in the US.
- Caroline currently ranks #92 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
CarrieLinaCaro
Variants & spellings
CarolinaKaroline
Famous people named Caroline
- Caroline Kennedy — diplomat and author