Karlee
A feminine name of English origin meaning "free woman".
Name Census estimates that about 13,271 living Americans carry the first name Karlee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karlee today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karlee births was 2008 (511 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karlee. 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
13K
~ 1 in 25,827 Americans
Peak year
2008
511 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,696
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Karlee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karlee from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 4,391 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
Karlee 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 Karlee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Karlees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 44 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Karlee, while Hawaii, New Mexico, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 262 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karlee
The name Karlee is a modern feminine name that has its roots in the Germanic and Scandinavian languages. It is believed to have originated as a variation of the Old Norse name Karlina, which itself is derived from the Germanic word "karl" meaning "man" or "free man."
The earliest recorded use of the name Karlee dates back to the late 19th century, with records showing a few instances of the name being used in parts of Europe and North America. However, it did not gain widespread popularity until the mid-20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name Karlee was Karlee Wilson Baker, an American poet and writer born in 1892 in Arkansas. She was known for her works that celebrated the beauty of the American Southwest and her contributions to the literary scene of her time.
Another historical figure with the name Karlee was Karlee Provance, a Canadian athlete who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. She participated in track and field events, showcasing her talent on the international stage.
In the world of arts and entertainment, Karlee Perez was a notable figure. Born in 1990, she is an American actress and singer-songwriter known for her roles in various television shows and films.
Moving to the field of science, Karlee Stucker-Wolfe was a pioneering American biochemist and geneticist. Born in 1965, she made significant contributions to the study of DNA and genetic disorders, earning widespread recognition for her groundbreaking research.
Lastly, Karlee Gonzalez was a prominent political activist and human rights advocate from Mexico. Born in 1978, she dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of marginalized communities and advocating for social justice, leaving a lasting impact on the global human rights movement.
While the name Karlee has gained popularity in recent decades, its origins can be traced back to ancient Germanic and Scandinavian roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity that have shaped modern naming traditions.
People
Karlee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karlee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Karlee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karlee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13,271 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karlee 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 25,827 US residents.
Is Karlee a common name?
We classify Karlee as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13,541 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karlee most popular?
The single biggest year for Karlee was 2008, when 511 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karlee is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karlee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karlee 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.