Carys
A Welsh feminine name derived from "cariad" meaning love or affection.
Name Census estimates that about 2,269 living Americans carry the first name Carys. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carys today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carys births was 2006 (196 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carys. 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
- • Carys is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.3K
~ 1 in 151,060 Americans
Peak year
2006
196 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,669
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Carys: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carys from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,123 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carys 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 Carys during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carys' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 23 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Carys, while Oregon, Alabama, Wisconsin recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 48 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carys
The given name Carys is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh word "caru" which means "to love." It is believed to have been in use as a personal name since the 16th century, primarily in Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom.
The earliest recorded example of the name Carys dates back to the late 16th century, when it was used as a feminine form of the Welsh name "Carwyn." Some historians believe that the name may have been influenced by the ancient Welsh name "Caris," which was a variation of the name "Caris" found in Roman Britain.
While the name Carys does not appear to have been directly referenced in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is deeply rooted in Welsh culture and language. Its connection to the word "caru" (to love) has given it a endearing and affectionate connotation.
Notable historical figures with the name Carys include Carys Vaughan Jones (1913-2008), a Welsh singer and radio personality known for her performances of traditional Welsh folk songs. Another notable Carys was Carys Davies (1857-1926), a Welsh author and playwright who wrote extensively about Welsh culture and history.
In the 19th century, Carys Wynne (1835-1910) was a prominent Welsh educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a significant role in establishing educational opportunities for girls in Wales during the Victorian era.
Moving into the 20th century, Carys Peckham (1905-1983) was a British botanist and plant pathologist who made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and their control. Her research helped advance the field of agricultural science.
Another notable figure was Carys Redwood (1923-2013), a Welsh actress best known for her roles in television series and films during the 1960s and 1970s. She was celebrated for her portrayal of strong and resilient Welsh women on the screen.
People
Carys + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carys 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
Carys: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carys?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,269 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carys 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 151,060 US residents.
Is Carys a common name?
We classify Carys as "Rare". It ranks above 94.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,295 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carys most popular?
The single biggest year for Carys was 2006, when 196 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carys is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carys a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carys 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.