Carolyn is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Carolyn means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Carolyn across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Carolyn has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Carolyn is a girl name of Germanic origin meaning “free woman”. an elaboration of Caroline.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 558,397 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 146 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 921 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 11 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 498 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,212 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 Carolyn per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1947 (20,788/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1978 (82/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1980 (38/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1999 (20/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (4/yr).
Carolyn has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1947, when it ranked #33 nationally (given to 20,788 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Caroline · Carolina · Carlene · Carolann · Geralyn · Carolynn · Karolyn · Carolyne
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