The first name Carey
A unisex name meaning “to love”, “descendant of fiachra”, “crow”.
Pronounced /ˈkɛəɹi/ 2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Carey means “to love”, “descendant of fiachra”, “crow”.
* As a German surname, Americanized from Gehrig, Gehring. * As a Welsh surname, variant of Carew. * As an English surname, from placenames derived from Proto-Brythonic *karɨd (“to love”). * As an Irish surname, from mac Fhiachra (“descendant of Fiachra”), from préachán (“crow”). * Also as an Irish surname, from the root of the name Kerry.
More names that mean love.
A form of Cary.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 boys were named Carey, making it the 5,137th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 12 births (#1,434).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carey with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carey at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 13 boys born in the United States were named Carey, the 6,519th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1975, when 756 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Carey
14 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carey MulliganBritish actress (born 1985)
- Carey LowellAmerican actress, born 1961
- Carey PriceCanadian ice hockey goaltender, born 1987
- Carey BellAmerican blues musician (1936–2007)
- Carey WilsonAmerican screenwriter, voice actor and film producer (1889-1962)
- Carey LoftinAmerican actor (1914-1997)
- Carey HartAmerican freestyle motocross, motorcycle and off-road truck racer, born 1975
- Carey HarrisonBritish writer (1944-2025)
- Carey WilsonCanadian ice hockey player, born 1962
- Rex HarrisonBritish actor (1908–1990)
- Joseph MerrickBritish man with severe deformities known as the Elephant Man, 1862–1890
- Jackson C. FrankAmerican musician, 1943–1999
Questions
- What does the name Carey mean?
- Carey means “to love”, “descendant of fiachra”, “crow”.
- How popular is the name Carey?
- In 2025, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Carey, ranking 5,137th. Its peak was 1996, with 12 births.
- Is Carey a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 29,621 US babies named Carey since 1880, 43% were girls and 57% boys.
- When was Carey most popular?
- 1975 in the United States, when 756 babies were named Carey, its highest rank at 304th.
- How do you pronounce Carey?
- Carey is /ˈkɛəɹi/, 2 syllables.
- What name is Carey a form of?
- Carey is a form of Cary.
- What are other spellings of Carey?
- Cary.
- Is Carey also a surname?
- Yes. Carey is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.