Carlton
English surname from a place name that combines the Old English ceorl, a free peasant, with tun, meaning a settlement or farmstead.
Carlton in 2025
Carlton was given to 43 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 6,215th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 77,101 babies born.
The history of Carlton
Carlton reached its highest point in 1957, when 962 babies were given the name, ranking 532nd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 484th, in 1937.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 49,167 babies have been named Carlton. Half of them were born before 1957, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Carlton by decade
| Decade | Babies named Carlton | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 190 | 768 |
| 1890s | 259 | 842 |
| 1900s | 451 | 727 |
| 1910s | 2,840 | 556 |
| 1920s | 4,746 | 513 |
| 1930s | 5,038 | 484 |
| 1940s | 5,393 | 523 |
| 1950s | 7,967 | 528 |
| 1960s | 7,044 | 590 |
| 1970s | 4,859 | 694 |
| 1980s | 4,027 | 845 |
| 1990s | 3,568 | 891 |
| 2000s | 1,610 | 1,679 |
| 2010s | 885 | 3,063 |
| 2020s | 290 | 4,810 |
Where Carlton is heading
Carlton has fallen 57% over the past decade, from 99 babies in 2015 to 43 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1957 peak — Carlton is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Carlton
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Carlton.