Caron
Of French origin, meaning a slight curve or meander.
Name Census estimates that about 3,407 living Americans carry the first name Caron. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Caron today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caron births was 1956 (171 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caron. 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
- • Caron was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
People living today
3.4K
~ 1 in 100,603 Americans
Peak year
1956
171 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,827
Tracked since 1935
Gender
Gender distribution for Caron
Caron is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 4,207 total registrations, 1,028 (24.4%) were male and 3,179 (75.6%) were female.
Caron as a male name
- Ranked #7,827 in 2024
- 10 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (71 births)
Caron as a female name
- Ranked #13,017 in 2004
- 7 female births in 2004
- Peak: 1956 (171 births)
Popularity
Caron: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caron from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 1,019 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caron 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 Caron during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Caron, while New Jersey, Missouri, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 67 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Caron
The name Caron is derived from the Welsh language and has its origins in ancient Celtic culture. It is believed to have emerged during the early medieval period in the regions of modern-day Wales and parts of western England.
The name Caron is thought to be a variant of the Welsh name Caradog, which itself is derived from the Old Welsh words "cār" meaning "love" and "adog" meaning "fire" or "passion." Caron, therefore, can be interpreted to mean "beloved" or "passionate one."
Historical records suggest that the name Caron was present in various early Welsh texts and manuscripts, including the ancient Welsh tales known as the Mabinogion. These stories, which date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, contain references to characters bearing names similar to Caron.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Caron was a Welsh prince named Caron ap Ynyr, who lived in the 6th century AD and was a notable figure in the legends of King Arthur. Another notable bearer of the name was Caron of Tregaron, a 13th-century Welsh poet and scholar.
During the Middle Ages, the name Caron gained popularity among Welsh nobility and gentry. It was also adopted by some English families, particularly those with Welsh ancestry or connections.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Caron Wynne, a Welsh landowner and member of the gentry from Denbighshire. In the 18th century, Caron Vaughan was a prominent Welsh clergyman and author.
Caron has also been the name of several notable individuals in more recent times. Caron Keating (1962-2004) was a British television presenter and actress, while Caron Butler (born 1980) is an American former professional basketball player.
Overall, the name Caron has a rich historical lineage rooted in the ancient Celtic cultures of Wales and the surrounding regions. Its enduring presence over the centuries reflects its deep cultural significance and the lasting influence of the Welsh language and traditions.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Caron
People
Caron + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caron 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
Caron: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caron?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,407 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caron 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 100,603 US residents.
Is Caron a common name?
We classify Caron as "Rare". It ranks above 95.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,207 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caron most popular?
The single biggest year for Caron was 1956, when 171 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caron is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caron a female name?
Yes, 75.6% of people registered as Caron 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.