The first name Carlisle
A unisex name meaning “fort”, “strength of lugus”, “strength”.
Pronounced /kɑːɹˈlaɪl/ 2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Carlisle means “fort”, “strength of lugus”, “strength”.
From Middle English Carlele, from Middle English Carleol, Carleul, from Cumbric [Term?] (compare Caer Ligualid in the Historia Brittonum, Middle Welsh Caer Liwelydd, Welsh Caerliwelydd, all suffixed with -ydd), composed of Proto-Brythonic *kaɨr (“fort”) + Proto-Brythonic [Term?] (> Latin Luguvalium), from Proto-Celtic *Luguwalos (personal name, literally “strength of Lugus”), from *Lugus + *walos (“strength”). The absence of a suffix comparable to Welsh -ydd in the underlying Cumbric form is unexplained; see w:Cumbric/Absence of -ydd.
More names that mean strong.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Carlisle last appeared in the official list in 2021, given to 6 boys. It peaked in 2010, with 6 births (#2,941).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carlisle with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carlisle at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 36 boys born in the United States were named Carlisle, the 3,256th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2012, when 47 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.
Carlisle in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Carlill
Famous people named Carlisle
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carlisle FloydAmerican composer (1926–2021)
Questions
- What does the name Carlisle mean?
- Carlisle means “fort”, “strength of lugus”, “strength”.
- How popular is the name Carlisle?
- In 2021, 6 boys born in England and Wales were named Carlisle, ranking 3,017th. Its peak was 2010, with 6 births.
- Is Carlisle a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 2,329 US babies named Carlisle since 1880, 20% were girls and 80% boys.
- When was Carlisle most popular?
- 2012 in the United States, when 47 babies were named Carlisle, its highest rank at 2,602nd.
- How do you pronounce Carlisle?
- Carlisle is /kɑːɹˈlaɪl/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Carlisle?
- Carlill.
- Is Carlisle also a surname?
- Yes. Carlisle is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.