Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1975

Carey

Meaning A unisex given name Gender Unisex · 43% girls Rank 2025 #6,519

A unisex given name. A male given name transferred from the surname.

Rank 2025
#6,519
among boys · ↓1,244 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
13
named Carey · -43% vs 2024
How common
1 in 131,390
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1975
1,058 babies
All-time total
29,621
#910 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Carey popularity over time

29,621 babies have been named Carey since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 6 144 150 15 – #361
1890s 17 151 168 17 +12% #422
1900s 18 157 175 18 +4% #447
1910s 97 520 617 62 +253% #570
1920s 119 705 824 82 +34% #685
1930s 144 787 931 93 +13% #579
1940s 296 1,559 1,855 186 +99% #439
1950s 1,181 3,649 4,830 483 +160% #353
1960s 2,059 3,289 5,348 535 +11% #411
1970s 5,605 2,766 8,371 837 +57% #436
1980s 2,026 1,604 3,630 363 -57% #659
1990s 796 887 1,683 168 -54% #860
2000s 246 351 597 60 -65% #2,087
2010s 101 238 339 34 -43% #3,616
2020s (to 2025) 30 73 103 17 -49% #5,275

The story of Carey

Carey is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,519 in 2025 with 13 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 29,621 American babies have been named Carey, about 57% boys and 43% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1975, when 1,058 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Carey stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Carey?

The median living Carey is about 52 years old; half are between 45 and 63. An estimated 24 thousand people named Carey are alive in the United States today.

median 52 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Carey year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 13 #6,519
2024 5 #15,736 18 #5,275
2023 – – 12 #6,965
2022 7 #12,502 11 #7,345
2021 9 #10,453 7 #9,899
2020 9 #10,434 12 #6,699
2019 7 #12,699 18 #5,192
2018 10 #9,966 23 #4,384
2017 11 #9,442 22 #4,492
2016 6 #14,690 24 #4,212
2015 8 #12,054 23 #4,312
2014 15 #7,737 21 #4,560
2013 8 #12,208 24 #4,077
2012 11 #9,850 28 #3,728
2011 7 #13,637 29 #3,616
2010 18 #6,973 26 #3,910
2009 19 #6,863 28 #3,735
2008 8 #12,812 27 #3,841
2007 24 #5,754 39 #2,980
2006 15 #7,946 32 #3,316
2005 26 #4,983 27 #3,541
2004 22 #5,604 33 #3,030
2003 29 #4,444 26 #3,454
2002 28 #4,406 49 #2,158
2001 36 #3,643 50 #2,087
2000 39 #3,411 40 #2,385
1995 73 #1,904 73 #1,381
1990 96 #1,579 141 #860
1985 175 #905 169 #683
1980 342 #545 168 #665
1975 756 #304 302 #464
1970 409 #490 324 #453
1965 150 #812 283 #463
1960 137 #897 370 #411
1955 136 #829 363 #378
1950 68 #1,116 272 #409
1945 16 #2,162 132 #520
1940 13 #2,318 96 #603
1935 19 #1,791 80 #664
1930 7 #3,708 65 #803
1925 14 #2,504 65 #823
1920 16 #2,286 63 #854
1915 12 #2,406 59 #785
1910 6 #2,182 25 #570
1905 7 #1,561 19 #529
1900 – – 26 #447
1895 5 #1,628 17 #491
1890 – – 11 #609
1885 – – 13 #524
1880 6 #756 13 #506

Famous people named Carey

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Carey Mulligan Carey Mulligan English actress (born 1985) Contemporary
  2. 2 Carey Lowell Carey Lowell American actress (born 1961) Contemporary
  3. 3 Carey Price Carey Price Canadian ice hockey player (born 1987) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Carey, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Carey?

The median living Carey is about 52 years old. Half of all living Careys are between 45 and 63 years old.

How many people named Carey are alive today?

An estimated 24 thousand people named Carey are alive in the United States, based on 29,621 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Carey mean?

A unisex given name. A male given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Carey in 2025?

Carey ranked #6,519 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 13 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Carey?

29,621 babies have been named Carey in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Carey most popular?

Carey peaked in 1975, when 1,058 newborns received the name.

Is Carey a boy or girl name?

Carey is used for both: about 43% of babies named Carey have been girls and 57% boys.

Is the name Carey rising or falling?

Carey is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Carey?

Well-known people named Carey include Carey Mulligan (actor), Carey Lowell (actor), Carey Price (hockey player).

Names like Carey

Names that sound and feel close to Carey: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Carey with similar names → More names starting with C →