Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2010

Carlisle

Gender Unisex · 20% girls Rank 2025 #3,256 Trend → Stable

From Middle English Carlele, from Middle English Carleol, Carleul, from Cumbric [Term?] (compare Caer Ligualid in the Historia Brittonum, Middle Welsh Caer Liwelydd…

Rank 2025
#3,256
among boys · ↑25 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
45
named Carlisle · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 47,447
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2010
62 babies
All-time total
2,329
#3,455 all-time among boys
First recorded
1888
in Social Security records

Carlisle popularity over time

2,329 babies have been named Carlisle since 1888, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 9 9 1 – #711
1890s – 36 36 4 +300% #623
1900s – 10 10 1 -72% #1,236
1910s – 188 188 19 +1780% #1,102
1920s – 231 231 23 +23% #1,352
1930s – 176 176 18 -24% #1,330
1940s 6 155 161 16 -9% #1,465
1950s – 108 108 11 -33% #1,827
1960s – 66 66 7 -39% #2,693
1970s – 92 92 9 +39% #2,835
1980s 14 70 84 8 -9% #3,261
1990s 115 76 191 19 +127% #4,707
2000s 123 54 177 18 -7% #6,871
2010s 133 365 498 50 +181% #2,602
2020s (to 2025) 76 226 302 50 +1% #2,925

Where Carlisle is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 36 0.02 outside top 500
2027 36 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 35 0.02 outside top 500
2030 35 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Carlisle

Carlisle is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,256 in 2025 with 36 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1888, 2,329 American babies have been named Carlisle, about 80% boys and 20% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2010, when 62 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Carlisle stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Carlisle?

The median living Carlisle is about 15 years old; half are between 7 and 38. An estimated 1,600 people named Carlisle are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

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

Carlisle 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 9 #10,256 36 #3,256
2024 12 #8,552 36 #3,281
2023 16 #6,993 34 #3,429
2022 11 #9,171 38 #3,164
2021 12 #8,580 42 #2,925
2020 16 #6,987 40 #2,936
2019 6 #14,160 34 #3,360
2018 13 #8,241 42 #2,854
2017 12 #8,907 40 #2,964
2016 15 #7,669 39 #3,007
2015 14 #8,090 35 #3,241
2014 14 #8,141 35 #3,164
2013 18 #6,793 29 #3,593
2012 10 #10,594 47 #2,602
2011 10 #10,549 23 #4,248
2010 21 #6,224 41 #2,879
2009 12 #9,506 12 #6,871
2008 14 #8,619 10 #7,782
2007 9 #11,818 6 #11,137
2006 15 #7,947 7 #9,723
2005 15 #7,582 – –
2004 12 #8,823 – –
2003 11 #9,167 8 #7,958
2002 7 #12,447 – –
2001 14 #7,388 5 #10,820
2000 14 #7,241 6 #9,254
1995 10 #8,184 7 #7,098
1990 12 #6,930 11 #4,707
1985 – – 5 #6,669
1980 – – 7 #5,004
1975 – – 7 #4,379
1970 – – 9 #3,310
1965 – – – –
1960 – – 5 #4,111
1955 – – 11 #2,449
1950 – – 17 #1,827
1945 – – 11 #2,147
1940 – – 10 #2,346
1935 – – 26 #1,330
1930 – – 17 #1,831
1925 – – 25 #1,501
1920 – – 29 #1,352
1915 – – 29 #1,220
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 6 #903
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Carlisle?

The median living Carlisle is about 15 years old. Half of all living Carlisles are between 7 and 38 years old.

How many people named Carlisle are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Carlisle are alive in the United States, based on 2,329 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Carlisle mean?

From Middle English Carlele, from Middle English Carleol, Carleul, from Cumbric [Term?] (compare Caer Ligualid in the Historia Brittonum, Middle Welsh Caer Liwelydd, Welsh Caerliwelydd, all suffixed with -ydd), composed of…

How popular is the name Carlisle in 2025?

Carlisle ranked #3,256 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 36 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Carlisle?

2,329 babies have been named Carlisle in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Carlisle most popular?

Carlisle peaked in 2010, when 62 newborns received the name.

Is Carlisle a boy or girl name?

Carlisle is used for both: about 20% of babies named Carlisle have been girls and 80% boys.

Is the name Carlisle rising or falling?

Carlisle is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Carlisle become more popular?

Carlisle looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 35 boys named Carlisle in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Carlisle

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

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