Carol is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Carol means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Carol across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Carol has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Carol is a girl name of Germanic origin meaning “free man”. a feminine form related to Charles.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 825,584 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 242 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,645 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 7 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,111 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,626 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Carol per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1946 (34,458/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (319/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1979 (268/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (28/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (4/yr).
Carol has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1946, when it ranked #14 nationally (given to 34,458 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Carole · Carl · Carla · Carly · Karl · Carroll · Carrol · Carley
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