The first name Carol
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ˈkæ.ɹəl/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Shortened from Caroline. Associated by folk etymology with the English noun carol.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 11 boys were named Carol, making it the 2,133rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 28 births (#802).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carol with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carol at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 82 girls born in the United States were named Carol, the 2,242nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1946, when 34,284 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.
Carol in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Carol
99 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Joyce Carol OatesAmerican author (born 1938)
- Carole KingAmerican singer-songwriter and musician (born 1942)
- Carol BurnettAmerican actress, comedian and singer (born 1933)
- Carol ChanningAmerican actress (1921–2019)
- Carol ReedEnglish film director (1906–1976)
- Carol KaneAmerican actress (born 1952)
- Carol J. AdamsAuthor, animal rights activist, born 1951
- Carol GilliganAmerican feminist, ethicist, and psychologist, born 1936
- Carol Moseley BraunAmerican politician and lawyer, born 1947
- Carol ShieldsAmerican/Canadian author, 1935–2003
- Carol LynleyAmerican actress (1942–2019)
- Carol MorrisAmerican actress, model and beauty queen (born 1936)
Questions
- What does the name Carol mean?
- Shortened from Caroline. Associated by folk etymology with the English noun carol.
- How popular is the name Carol?
- In 2025, 11 boys born in England and Wales were named Carol, ranking 2,133rd. Its peak was 1996, with 28 births.
- What are nicknames for Carol?
- Common nicknames for Carol include Caz.
- Is Carol a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 825,584 US babies named Carol since 1880 were girls.
- When was Carol most popular?
- 1946 in the United States, when 34,284 babies were named Carol, its highest rank at 5th.
- How do you pronounce Carol?
- Carol is /ˈkæ.ɹəl/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Carol?
- Carroll, Carole and Carrol.
- Is Carol also a surname?
- Yes. Carol is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.