Carre
Originally a French surname meaning "square" or "four-cornered."
Name Census estimates that about 36 living Americans carry the first name Carre. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carre today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carre births was 1959 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carre. 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 Carre. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
36
~ 1 in 9,520,954 Americans
Peak year
1959
9 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1981 SSA rank
#10,642
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Carre: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carre from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 23 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
Carre 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 Carre 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 Carre
The name Carre has its origins in the Latin word "carrus," which means "cart" or "wagon." It is believed to have emerged as a surname during the Middle Ages, initially referring to individuals who were involved in the transportation or hauling of goods using carts or wagons.
In the 12th century, the name Carre began to appear in various historical records across Europe, particularly in France and England. During this period, it was primarily used as a surname, but over time, some families adopted it as a first name as well.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carre as a first name can be traced back to the 13th century, when a French nobleman named Carre de Beauvais was mentioned in a chronicle from the year 1245. He was known for his participation in the Seventh Crusade.
In the 15th century, Carre gained further prominence with the birth of Carre de Malberg (1420-1488), a French military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. His bravery and leadership earned him recognition and admiration from his contemporaries.
Another notable figure associated with the name Carre was John Carre (1576-1641), an English philosopher and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the field of optics and is credited with inventing the first compound microscope.
During the 17th century, Carre found its way into the literary world through the works of the French writer and playwright, Pierre Corneille (1606-1684). One of his most famous characters was named Carre, highlighting the name's enduring presence in French culture.
In the 19th century, Carre gained further recognition with the birth of Marie Carre (1825-1909), a French painter and sculptor. Her works were widely acclaimed, and she became one of the most prominent female artists of her time.
While the name Carre has its roots in Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and cultural exchange. However, it remains more commonly used in French-speaking regions and among those with French ancestry.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Carre
People
Carre + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carre 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
Carre: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carre?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 36 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carre 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 9,520,954 US residents.
Is Carre a common name?
We classify Carre as "Very Rare". It ranks above 49.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carre most popular?
The single biggest year for Carre was 1959, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carre is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carre a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carre 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.