Carline
A feminine name derived from Caroline, itself from the Germanic name Karl meaning "free man".
Name Census estimates that about 925 living Americans carry the first name Carline. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carline today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carline births was 1949 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carline. 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
925
~ 1 in 370,545 Americans
Peak year
1949
35 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1920 SSA rank
#4,387
Tracked since 1898
Gender
Gender distribution for Carline
Out of the 1,661 babies given the name Carline since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Carline as a male name
- Ranked #4,387 in 1920
- 5 male births in 1920
- Peak: 1920 (5 births)
Carline as a female name
- Ranked #12,817 in 2008
- 8 female births in 2008
- Peak: 1949 (35 births)
Popularity
Carline: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carline from the 1890s through to the 2000s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 242 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carline 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 Carline during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carlines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New York, Florida, Alabama recorded the most babies named Carline, while Texas, Maine, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carline
The name Carline has its origins in the Late Latin word "Carlina," which was derived from the name "Carolus," the Latin form of the Germanic name Charles. It is believed to have been introduced into Europe during the reign of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, who ruled from 768 to 814 AD. The name was initially used as a feminine form of Charles and gained popularity across various regions of Europe.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Carline was particularly prevalent in areas under Frankish influence, such as modern-day France, Germany, and parts of Italy. It was associated with noble families and was often bestowed upon daughters of aristocratic lineage as a testament to their heritage and connection to the Carolingian dynasty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carline can be found in the chronicles of the Benedictine monastery of Fleury, where a nun named Carline is mentioned in the 10th century. Additionally, the name appears in several medieval charters and records from various European regions, indicating its widespread use during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Carline. One of the earliest examples is Carline of Anjou (1092-1142), a French noblewoman who was the daughter of Fulk IV, Count of Anjou, and the wife of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine. Another prominent figure was Carline of Baden (1776-1841), who was the daughter of Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden, and served as the Queen consort of Bavaria from 1806 to 1825.
In the realm of the arts, Carline Michaelis (1851-1917) was a notable German writer and poet who gained recognition for her literary works, including poetry collections and novels. Carline Ray (1879-1976) was an American actress and vaudeville performer who had a successful career on stage during the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Carline Gall (1874-1955), a French feminist and activist who played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in France. She was a co-founder of the French Union for Women's Suffrage and dedicated her life to advocating for equal rights and political representation for women.
While the name Carline has become less common in modern times, it remains a part of historical records and continues to hold significance in various cultural contexts, serving as a reminder of its rich heritage and connections to influential figures throughout the ages.
People
Carline + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carline 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
Carline: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carline?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 925 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carline 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 370,545 US residents.
Is Carline a common name?
We classify Carline as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,661 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carline most popular?
The single biggest year for Carline was 1949, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carline is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carline a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Carline 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.