Carlene
Feminine form of Carl made with the ending -ene. Carl is the German form of Charles, from a Germanic word meaning free man.
Carlene in 2025
Carlene was given to 5 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 25,478th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 663,069 babies born.
The history of Carlene
Carlene reached its highest point in 1955, when 370 babies were given the name, ranking 838th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 684th, in 1936.
Across the 131 years of records since 1895, 15,225 babies have been named Carlene. Half of them were born before 1953, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Carlene by decade
| Decade | Babies named Carlene | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 | 2,531 |
| 1900s | 40 | 1,816 |
| 1910s | 305 | 1,838 |
| 1920s | 839 | 1,058 |
| 1930s | 2,273 | 684 |
| 1940s | 3,026 | 698 |
| 1950s | 3,302 | 812 |
| 1960s | 2,389 | 982 |
| 1970s | 1,027 | 1,532 |
| 1980s | 788 | 2,141 |
| 1990s | 582 | 2,755 |
| 2000s | 406 | 3,437 |
| 2010s | 183 | 9,664 |
| 2020s | 60 | 12,535 |
Where Carlene is heading
Carlene has fallen 71% over the past decade, from 17 babies in 2015 to 5 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1955 peak — Carlene is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Carlene
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Carlene.