# Caroline (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/caroline/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | French |
| Meaning | “charles” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛɹ.əˌlaɪn/, 3 syllables |
| Nicknames | Caro, Carrie, Cary, Cal, Caddy |
| Variant spellings | Carolina, Carolyn, Karoline, Carline |
| US babies named this | 250,719 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 309 / 250,410 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 2,130, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Borrowed in the 17th century from French Caroline, from Italian Carolina or its etymon Latin Carolīna, from Latin Carolus (“Charles”), from Middle High German Karl, + -īna (feminine diminutive suffix). By surface analysis, Carol (male given name) + -ine (feminine diminutive suffix). Doublet of Carolina.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3,370 | 87 |
| 2012 | 3,421 | 80 |
| 2013 | 3,983 | 63 |
| 2014 | 4,348 | 59 |
| 2015 | 4,333 | 62 |
| 2016 | 4,437 | 56 |
| 2017 | 4,294 | 55 |
| 2018 | 4,167 | 56 |
| 2019 | 3,920 | 61 |
| 2020 | 3,364 | 71 |
| 2021 | 3,204 | 80 |
| 2022 | 3,030 | 77 |
| 2023 | 2,868 | 83 |
| 2024 | 2,730 | 92 |
| 2025 | 2,646 | 96 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 11 | 4,002 |
| 1988 | 8 | 5,265 |
| 1989 | 30 | 2,251 |
| 1990 | 14 | 4,000 |
| 1992 | 7 | 6,763 |
| 1994 | 7 | 7,066 |
| 1997 | 5 | 9,478 |
| 1998 | 6 | 8,630 |
| 1999 | 6 | 8,860 |
| 2000 | 7 | 8,317 |
| 2001 | 8 | 7,633 |
| 2004 | 13 | 5,860 |
| 2005 | 7 | 9,274 |
| 2008 | 12 | 6,818 |
| 2014 | 6 | 10,939 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 54 | 714 |
| 2012 | 28 | 1,184 |
| 2013 | 54 | 733 |
| 2014 | 37 | 986 |
| 2015 | 60 | 674 |
| 2016 | 56 | 719 |
| 2017 | 33 | 1,063 |
| 2018 | 35 | 1,013 |
| 2019 | 30 | 1,119 |
| 2020 | 27 | 1,200 |
| 2021 | 30 | 1,128 |
| 2022 | 31 | 1,081 |
| 2023 | 35 | 981 |
| 2024 | 23 | 1,406 |
| 2025 | 25 | 1,271 |

## In other languages

- Chinese: 卡羅琳 /卡罗琳
- Czech: Karolína
- Danish: Caroline
- Estonian: Karoliina
- Finnish: Karoliina
- French: Caroline
- German: Caroline
- Greek: Καρολίνα
- Italian: Carolina
- Latin: carola
- Norwegian: Karoline
- Polish: Karolina
- Portuguese: Carolina
- Russian: Каролина
- Slovak: Karolína
- Spanish: Carolina
- Swedish: Karolina

## People named Caroline

- Caroline Wozniacki, Danish tennis player
- Caroline Herschel, German-British astronomer (1750-1848)
- Caroline Kennedy, American author and diplomat (born 1957)
- Princess Caroline of Monaco, eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly
- Caroline Garcia, French tennis player
- Caroline Harrison, First Lady of the United States from 1889 to 1892
- Caroline Aaron, American actress
- Lady Caroline Lamb, English writer (1785-1828)
- Caroline Sunshine, American actress and singer (born 1995)
- Caroline Lucas, British politician, Member of Parliament for the Green Party (born 1960)
- Caroline Rhea, Canadian actress
- Caroline Munro, English actress and model

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.