The first name Carolyn

Carolyn last appeared in the official list in 2023, given to 6 girls. It peaked in 1999, with 20 births (#1,018).

Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carolyn with other names.

In 2025, 185 girls born in the United States were named Carolyn, the 1,222nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 20,742 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.

• Carolyn Bertozzi
  American chemist (born 1966)
• Carolyn S. Shoemaker
  American astronomer, researcher and university teacher, 1929–2021
• Carolyn Porco
  American planetary scientist, born 1953
• Carolyn Jones
  American actress (1930–1983)
• Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
  American publicist and socialite (1966–1999)
• Carolyn Schuler
  American swimmer (1943–2024)
• Carolyn Waldo
  Canadian synchronized swimmer, born 1964
• Carolyn Lawrence
  American voice actress, born 1967
• Carolyn Murphy
  American model, born 1973
• Carolyn Goodman
  American politician, born 1938
• Carolyn McCarthy
  American politician (1944–2025)
• Carolyn Hennesy
  American actress, born 1962

What does the name Carolyn mean?

A variant of Caroline with -lyn.

How popular is the name Carolyn?

In 2023, 6 girls born in England and Wales were named Carolyn, ranking 3,598th. Its peak was 1999, with 20 births.

Is Carolyn a boy's or a girl's name?

Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 558,397 US babies named Carolyn since 1880 were girls.

When was Carolyn most popular?

1947 in the United States, when 20,742 babies were named Carolyn, its highest rank at 15th.

How do you pronounce Carolyn?

Carolyn is /ˈkɛɹəlɪn/, 3 syllables.

What name is Carolyn a form of?

Carolyn is a form of Caroline.

What are other spellings of Carolyn?

Karlyn.