Carlysle
A name of Scottish origin meaning "a walled or fortified town".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Carlysle. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Carlysle today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carlysle births was 1917 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carlysle. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Carlysle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1917
8 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1930 SSA rank
#3,647
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Carlysle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carlysle from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 8 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Carlysle remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carlysle 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 Carlysle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carlysle
The name Carlysle is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "cær" meaning "cart" and "læs" meaning "pasture" or "meadow." It likely originated as a place name referring to a meadow where carts or wagons were parked or stored.
The earliest recorded use of the name Carlysle dates back to the 11th century in England. It was initially a surname given to people who lived near such a cart meadow or who worked as cart drivers or merchants transporting goods.
Over time, the surname Carlysle evolved into a given name, particularly in the northern regions of England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the first name Carlysle was Carlysle Smythe, born in 1568 in Yorkshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and politician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, Carlysle Atkinson (1623-1689) was a notable English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. His works influenced the development of Protestant theology in England.
During the 18th century, Carlysle Browne (1705-1767) was a celebrated English painter known for his portraits and landscapes. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and had many wealthy patrons among the English nobility.
In the 19th century, Carlysle Bellew (1824-1892) was an Irish actor and theatre manager who performed extensively in London and other parts of England. He was particularly renowned for his roles in Shakespearean plays.
Another notable figure from the same era was Carlysle Macaulay (1839-1913), a Scottish historian and writer who authored several influential works on British history and politics.
While the name Carlysle has been more commonly used as a surname, its use as a given name, particularly in English-speaking countries, has persisted throughout history, often associated with individuals of literary, artistic, or academic backgrounds.
People
Carlysle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carlysle 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
Carlysle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carlysle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carlysle 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Carlysle a common name?
We classify Carlysle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carlysle most popular?
The single biggest year for Carlysle was 1917, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carlysle is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Carlysle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Carlysle a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carlysle in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Carlysle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Carlysle in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Carlysle can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Carlysle?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Carlysle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.