Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1942

Carole

Meaning A female given name from French, variant of Carol Gender Girl Rank 2025 #10,258

A female given name from French, variant of Carol

Rank 2025
#10,258
among girls
Babies in 2025
9
named Carole
How common
1 in 178,585
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1942
8,440 babies
All-time total
110,952
#349 all-time among girls
First recorded
1901
in Social Security records

Carole popularity over time

110,952 babies have been named Carole since 1901, 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
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s 18 – 18 2 – #1,159
1910s 492 – 492 49 +2633% #743
1920s 2,004 – 2,004 200 +307% #373
1930s 26,768 96 26,864 2,686 +1241% #46
1940s 50,303 161 50,464 5,046 +88% #35
1950s 16,535 – 16,535 1,654 -67% #140
1960s 10,566 7 10,573 1,057 -36% #203
1970s 2,209 – 2,209 221 -79% #480
1980s 941 – 941 94 -57% #1,148
1990s 522 – 522 52 -45% #1,621
2000s 210 – 210 21 -60% #3,814
2010s 95 – 95 10 -55% #8,689
2020s (to 2025) 25 – 25 4 -56% #10,258

The story of Carole

Carole is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #10,258 in 2025 with 9 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1901, 110,952 American babies have been named Carole. Its peak came in 1942, when 8,440 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1940s.

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

How old are people named Carole?

The median living Carole is about 78 years old; half are between 68 and 83. An estimated 67 thousand people named Carole are alive in the United States today.

median 78 020406080100

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

Carole 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 #10,258 – –
2024 – – – –
2023 9 #10,480 – –
2022 – – – –
2021 – – – –
2020 7 #12,401 – –
2019 11 #9,243 – –
2018 10 #9,969 – –
2017 8 #11,866 – –
2016 11 #9,534 – –
2015 10 #10,287 – –
2014 11 #9,678 – –
2013 13 #8,689 – –
2012 6 #15,346 – –
2011 5 #17,287 – –
2010 10 #10,577 – –
2009 12 #9,510 – –
2008 16 #7,819 – –
2007 8 #12,905 – –
2006 17 #7,217 – –
2005 21 #5,848 – –
2004 20 #6,019 – –
2003 36 #3,814 – –
2002 30 #4,202 – –
2001 26 #4,587 – –
2000 24 #4,816 – –
1995 43 #2,795 – –
1990 92 #1,621 – –
1985 94 #1,374 – –
1980 114 #1,177 – –
1975 189 #754 – –
1970 422 #480 – –
1965 897 #299 – –
1960 1,689 #203 – –
1955 1,426 #213 – –
1950 2,218 #140 – –
1945 4,842 #51 11 #2,149
1940 4,790 #49 23 #1,406
1935 2,680 #93 14 #1,944
1930 425 #321 – –
1925 218 #466 – –
1920 103 #715 – –
1915 50 #935 – –
1910 9 #1,651 – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Carole

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

  1. 1 Carole King Carole King American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1942) Contemporary
  2. 2 Carole Lombard Carole Lombard American actress (1908–1942) Contemporary
  3. 3 Carole Bouquet Carole Bouquet French actress (born 1957) Contemporary
  4. 4 Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager American lyricist, singer, songwriter, and painter (born 1944) b. 1947 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Carole Landis Carole Landis American actress (1919–1948) Contemporary
  6. 6 Carole Ann Ford Carole Ann Ford British actress (born 1940) Contemporary
  7. 7 Carole Pateman Carole Pateman British political theorist (born 1940) Contemporary
  8. 8 Carole Montillet French alpine skier b. 1973 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Carole Merle French alpine skier b. 1964 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Carole?

The median living Carole is about 78 years old. Half of all living Caroles are between 68 and 83 years old.

How many people named Carole are alive today?

An estimated 67 thousand people named Carole are alive in the United States, based on 110,952 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Carole mean?

A female given name from French, variant of Carol

How popular is the name Carole in 2025?

Carole ranked #10,258 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 9 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Carole?

110,952 babies have been named Carole in the United States since 1901, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Carole most popular?

Carole peaked in 1942, when 8,440 newborns received the name.

Is Carole a boy or girl name?

Carole is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Carole rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Carole?

Well-known people named Carole include Carole King (singer), Carole Lombard (actor), Carole Bouquet (actor).

Names like Carole

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

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