Carri
Carri is a rare feminine given name of English origin meaning "charioteer".
Name Census estimates that about 3,054 living Americans carry the first name Carri. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carri today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carri births was 1975 (172 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carri. 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
3.1K
~ 1 in 112,231 Americans
Peak year
1975
172 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
2019 SSA rank
#14,157
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Carri: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carri from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,454 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
Carri 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 Carri during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 28 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Carri, while West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 62 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carri
The name Carri is believed to have originated from the Gaelic language, which was spoken in ancient Ireland and Scotland. It is thought to be a feminine form of the name Cairbre, which means "charioteer" or "warrior." The name Carri likely emerged during the Middle Ages, when Gaelic names were prevalent in these regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carri can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, there is a reference to a woman named Carri, who lived in the 9th century AD. Unfortunately, not much is known about her life or the context in which her name was mentioned.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Carri mac Muiredhaigh was a prominent Irish poet and historian. He was born around 1140 and is known for his work entitled "The Book of Leinster," which documented the history and genealogy of the Leinster region in Ireland.
During the 16th century, a woman named Carri O'Neill was a member of the powerful O'Neill dynasty, which ruled parts of Ulster, Ireland. She was born around 1520 and was a relative of the famous chieftain, Shane O'Neill.
In the 18th century, Carri MacLean was a Scottish woman who lived on the Isle of Mull. She was born in 1712 and was known for her expertise in traditional Gaelic music and storytelling.
Another notable figure with the name Carri was Carri Jones, a Welsh author and poet who lived in the 19th century. She was born in 1835 and was celebrated for her contributions to Welsh literature, particularly her collection of poems titled "Caniadau Carri" (Songs of Carri).
Over the centuries, the name Carri has been used across various cultures and regions, but its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic language and the historical regions of Ireland and Scotland. While not a widely popular name today, it holds a rich historical significance and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the ages.
People
Carri + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carri 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
Carri: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carri?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,054 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carri 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 112,231 US residents.
Is Carri a common name?
We classify Carri as "Rare". It ranks above 95.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,466 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carri most popular?
The single biggest year for Carri was 1975, when 172 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carri is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carri a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carri 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.