The first name Carys
A girl’s name from Welsh meaning “love”.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Welsh origin
Carys means “love” in Welsh.
From Welsh Carus, Carys, from caru (“love”).
More names that mean love.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 34 girls were named Carys, making it the 997th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2004, with 389 births (#130).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carys with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carys at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 32 girls born in the United States were named Carys, the 4,375th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2006, when 196 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
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Carys
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carys LloydBritish cyclist, born 2006
More Welsh girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Carys mean?
- Carys means “love” in Welsh.
- What is the origin of the name Carys?
- From Welsh Carus, Carys, from caru (“love”).
- How popular is the name Carys?
- In 2025, 34 girls born in England and Wales were named Carys, ranking 997th. Its peak was 2004, with 389 births.
- Is Carys a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 2,327 US babies named Carys since 1880 were girls.
- When was Carys most popular?
- 2006 in the United States, when 196 babies were named Carys, its highest rank at 1,227th.
- What are other spellings of Carys?
- Cerys.