The first name Carly
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ˈkɑɹli/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
A feminine form of Carl with -y, taken to use in the latter half of the 20th century; also a pet form of Carla, Carlene and Carlotta.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Carly, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 235 births (#187).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carly with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carly at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 248 girls born in the United States were named Carly, the 1,009th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1995, when 2,585 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
Famous people named Carly
15 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carly Rae JepsenCanadian singer (born 1985)
- Carly FiorinaAmerican businesswoman and politician, born 1954
- Carly SimonAmerican musician (born 1943)
- Carly PattersonAmerican artistic gymnast and rock singer (born 1988)
- Carly ChaikinAmerican actress, born 1990
- Carly GullicksonAmerican female tennis player, born 1986
- Carly PopeCanadian actress, born 1980
- Carly SchroederFormer American actress, born 1990
- Carly Rose SonenclarAmerican singer and actor, born 1999
- Carly TelfordEnglish association football player (born 1987)
- Carly PiperAmerican swimmer, born 1983
- Carly PearceAmerican country music singer-songwriter, born 1990
Questions
- What does the name Carly mean?
- A feminine form of Carl with -y, taken to use in the latter half of the 20th century; also a pet form of Carla, Carlene and Carlotta.
- How popular is the name Carly?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Carly, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 1996, with 235 births.
- What are nicknames for Carly?
- Common nicknames for Carly include Carls.
- Is Carly a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 66,626 US babies named Carly since 1880 were girls.
- When was Carly most popular?
- 1995 in the United States, when 2,585 babies were named Carly, its highest rank at 122nd.
- How do you pronounce Carly?
- Carly is /ˈkɑɹli/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Carly?
- Carley, Carlie, Carlee, Carli, Karly and Karlie.