Carolyn first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Carolyn has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Carolyn

A feminine name of French origin meaning "small, feminine".

Popularity of Carolyn by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Carolyn is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Carolyn being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 224 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Carolyn.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 224
2022 0 192
2021 0 218
2020 0 270
2019 0 281
2018 0 313
2017 0 326
2016 0 352
2015 0 376
2014 0 374
2013 0 347
2012 0 359
2011 0 371
2010 0 378
2009 0 426
2008 0 448
2007 0 495
2006 0 587
2005 0 626
2004 0 731
2003 0 701
2002 0 821
2001 0 870
2000 0 1,031
1999 0 1,037
1998 0 901
1997 0 1,061
1996 0 1,210
1995 6 1,175
1994 0 1,230
1993 0 1,479
1992 0 1,518
1991 7 1,559
1990 9 1,714
1989 17 1,810
1988 8 1,802
1987 11 1,813
1986 11 1,737
1985 10 1,837
1984 9 1,824
1983 10 1,914
1982 8 2,009
1981 10 1,958
1980 7 1,929
1979 7 2,054
1978 10 2,176
1977 11 2,197
1976 6 2,116
1975 7 2,348
1974 8 2,472

The history of the first name Carolyn

The name Carolyn has its origins in the Germanic languages and is derived from the masculine name Charles, which itself comes from the Germanic name Karl. The name Karl is believed to have originated from the Old High German word "karal," meaning "man" or "husband."

Carolyn is a feminine form of Charles that emerged in the Middle Ages. It was initially used as a diminutive or pet name for women named Caroletta or Caroline. Over time, Carolyn became a distinct and widely-used name in its own right.

The earliest known historical reference to the name Carolyn can be traced back to the 13th century. A record from 1275 mentions a woman named Carolyn de Berkeley, who was a member of the noble Berkeley family in Gloucestershire, England.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Carolyn was Carolyn Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1683-1737), a German princess and the second wife of George II of Great Britain.

Another prominent figure was Carolyn Herschel (1750-1848), a German-born British astronomer. She was the sister of the renowned astronomer William Herschel and made significant contributions to the field, including the discovery of several comets.

In literature, Carolyn is the name of a character in the novel "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton, published in 1920. The character, Carolyn Olenska, is a woman who challenges the social norms of her time.

In the field of music, Carolyn Leigh (1926-1983) was an American lyricist and singer-songwriter. She wrote the lyrics for several popular songs, including "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "Young at Heart."

Another notable Carolyn was Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (1966-1999), an American public relations executive who was married to John F. Kennedy Jr. She tragically died in a plane crash along with her husband and her sister-in-law.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Carolyn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carolyn, please contact us.

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"Carolyn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 14, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/carolyn-meaning-and-history/.

"Carolyn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/carolyn-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 14 November, 2024

Carolyn first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/carolyn-meaning-and-history/.

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