Carlena
A feminine name derived from the French form of Charles, meaning "manly".
Name Census estimates that about 1,101 living Americans carry the first name Carlena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carlena today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carlena births was 1975 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carlena. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 311,312 Americans
Peak year
1975
42 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,276
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Carlena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carlena from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 227 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carlena by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Carlena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carlenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Alabama, Ohio recorded the most babies named Carlena, while Ohio, Alabama, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carlena
The name Carlena is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with various theories proposed about its roots and derivation. One widely accepted belief is that Carlena is a variant or feminine form of the Germanic name Carl or Charles, which means "free man" or "manly." This theory suggests that Carlena may have originated as a diminutive or pet form of these masculine names, potentially in regions where Germanic languages were spoken.
Another theory traces Carlena's origins to the Latin word "caritas," meaning "charity" or "love." It is possible that the name was derived from this root and used to convey a sense of affection or benevolence. However, this connection remains speculative, and there is limited historical evidence to support it conclusively.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Carlena date back to the late 19th century, although its usage was relatively rare at that time. One notable individual bearing this name was Carlena Layle (1907-1976), an American actress and singer who appeared in several films and stage productions during the 1930s and 1940s.
As the 20th century progressed, the name gained some popularity, particularly in certain regions of the United States. One notable bearer was Carlena Henrietta Brock (1921-2019), an American educator and civil rights activist who played a significant role in desegregating schools in Mississippi during the 1960s.
In the realm of literature, Carlena appears as a character in the novel "The Unvanquished" by William Faulkner, published in 1938. This fictional character was a young woman living in Mississippi during the American Civil War era.
Another notable individual with this name was Carlena Beard (1873-1942), an American educator and author who wrote several books on teaching methods and educational philosophy in the early 20th century.
While the name Carlena has not been among the most common or popular names throughout history, it has been borne by various individuals across different fields, including the arts, education, and activism. Despite its uncertain origins, the name has endured and continues to be used in various cultural contexts.
People
Carlena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carlena as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Carlena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carlena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,101 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carlena going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 311,312 US residents.
Is Carlena a common name?
We classify Carlena as "Rare". It ranks above 90.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,418 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carlena most popular?
The single biggest year for Carlena was 1975, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carlena is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carlena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carlena in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.