Carolina
A Latinate feminine form of Carolus, the Latin of Charles, from a Germanic word for a free man. The American states were named for European kings.
Carolina in 2025
Carolina was given to 769 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 837th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 4,311 babies born.
The history of Carolina
Carolina reached its highest point in 2004, when 1,270 babies were given the name, ranking 518th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 48,108 babies have been named Carolina. Half of them were born before 1998, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Carolina by decade
| Decade | Babies named Carolina | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 179 | 761 |
| 1890s | 249 | 775 |
| 1900s | 375 | 775 |
| 1910s | 817 | 937 |
| 1920s | 1,358 | 979 |
| 1930s | 1,075 | 1,092 |
| 1940s | 1,113 | 1,150 |
| 1950s | 1,103 | 1,414 |
| 1960s | 1,787 | 1,173 |
| 1970s | 2,600 | 836 |
| 1980s | 4,821 | 617 |
| 1990s | 9,885 | 537 |
| 2000s | 11,073 | 518 |
| 2010s | 7,499 | 759 |
| 2020s | 4,174 | 837 |
Where Carolina is heading
Carolina has risen 5% over the past decade, from 732 babies in 2015 to 769 in 2025.
Names like Carolina
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Carolina.