Where does the name Carolyn come from?

Carolyn is a girl name of Germanic origin.

Is Carolyn a boy or a girl name?

Carolyn is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Carolyn are girls and 0% are boys.

How popular is the name Carolyn in 2023?

Carolyn ranks #1085 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1947 with 20,788 babies.

How do you pronounce Carolyn?

Carolyn is pronounced KAIR-uh-lin (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Carolyn?

Carolyn is also written as Caroline, Carolyne, Caralyn.

A name from Germanic · Girl

Carolyn

A variant of Caroline, feminine of Charles — from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'. Strongly associated with mid-20th-century American taste in girls' names.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

556,385 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

228 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

CA variant of Caroline, feminine of Charles — from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'. Strongly associated with mid-20th-century American taste in girls' names.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Carolyn".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Caroline Most common Carolyne Caralyn

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Carolyn.

C
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
C
Caroline Kennedy (author and diplomat)
C
Carolyn Forché (poet)

Quick answers

People often ask about Carolyn.

What does the name Carolyn mean?: Carolyn means a variant of Caroline, feminine of Charles — from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'. Strongly associated with mid-20th-century American taste in girls' names.
Where does the name Carolyn come from?: Carolyn is a girl name of Germanic origin.
Is Carolyn a boy or a girl name?: Carolyn is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Carolyn are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Carolyn in 2023?: Carolyn ranks #1085 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1947 with 20,788 babies.
How do you pronounce Carolyn?: Carolyn is pronounced KAIR-uh-lin (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Carolyn?: Carolyn is also written as Caroline, Carolyne, Caralyn.

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From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

Walter

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From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.