Carolynn: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,409

among girls · ↑363 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Carolynn · +13% vs 2024

How common

1 in 35,717

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1942

169 babies

All-time total

6,453

#2,189 all-time among girls

First recorded

1917

in Social Security records

Carolynn popularity over time

6,453 babies have been named Carolynn since 1917, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	21	2	–	#3,392
1920s	96	10	+357%	#1,717
1930s	435	44	+353%	#827
1940s	1,467	147	+237%	#568
1950s	1,000	100	-32%	#826
1960s	792	79	-21%	#1,049
1970s	540	54	-32%	#1,409
1980s	519	52	-4%	#1,755
1990s	454	45	-13%	#2,107
2000s	449	45	-1%	#2,637
2010s	440	44	-2%	#2,942
2020s (to 2025)	240	40	-9%	#3,409

Where Carolynn is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls	Implied rank
2026	45	0.03	outside top 500
2027	45	0.03	outside top 500
2028	45	0.03	outside top 500
2029	45	0.03	outside top 500
2030	45	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Carolynn

Carolynn is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,409 in 2025 with 45 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1917, 6,453 American babies have been named Carolynn. Its peak came in 1942, when 169 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 Carolynn stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Carolynn?

The median living Carolynn is about 56 years old; half are between 30 and 73. An estimated 5,200 people named Carolynn are alive in the United States today.

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

Carolynn year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	45	#3,409
2024	40	#3,772
2023	35	#4,129
2022	43	#3,613
2021	35	#4,114
2020	42	#3,558
2019	53	#3,052
2018	37	#3,937
2017	44	#3,494
2016	51	#3,190
2015	48	#3,358
2014	39	#3,859
2013	57	#2,942
2012	43	#3,652
2011	33	#4,382
2010	35	#4,213
2009	52	#3,199
2008	40	#3,950
2007	44	#3,661
2006	48	#3,377
2005	37	#3,889
2004	42	#3,506
2003	43	#3,363
2002	43	#3,251
2001	44	#3,151
2000	56	#2,637
1995	35	#3,229
1990	51	#2,407
1985	37	#2,604
1980	55	#1,940
1975	46	#1,938
1970	74	#1,409
1965	73	#1,256
1960	71	#1,301
1955	88	#1,076
1950	108	#851
1945	143	#603
1940	107	#669
1935	55	#938
1930	23	#1,669
1925	7	#4,088
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Carolynn?

The median living Carolynn is about 56 years old. Half of all living Carolynns are between 30 and 73 years old.

How many people named Carolynn are alive today?

An estimated 5,200 people named Carolynn are alive in the United States, based on 6,453 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Carolynn mean?

Spelling variant of Carolyn.

How popular is the name Carolynn in 2025?

Carolynn ranked #3,409 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 45 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Carolynn?

6,453 babies have been named Carolynn in the United States since 1917, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Carolynn most popular?

Carolynn peaked in 1942, when 169 newborns received the name.

Is Carolynn a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Carolynn rising or falling?

Carolynn has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Carolynn become more popular?

Carolynn looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 45 girls named Carolynn in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Carolynn

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

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