Caroline
The French feminine of Carolus, the Latin form of Charles, which rests on the Germanic karl, meaning a free man. Royal Carolines made it familiar in Britain.
Caroline in 2025
Caroline was given to 2,646 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 242nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,253 babies born.
The history of Caroline
Caroline reached its highest point in 2000, when 5,029 babies were given the name, ranking 148th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 122nd, in 1881.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 250,719 babies have been named Caroline. Half of them were born before 1993, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Caroline by decade
| Decade | Babies named Caroline | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,743 | 122 |
| 1890s | 4,505 | 139 |
| 1900s | 4,276 | 177 |
| 1910s | 10,603 | 215 |
| 1920s | 12,707 | 279 |
| 1930s | 10,867 | 308 |
| 1940s | 11,638 | 313 |
| 1950s | 8,985 | 465 |
| 1960s | 16,791 | 330 |
| 1970s | 12,321 | 379 |
| 1980s | 18,033 | 236 |
| 1990s | 36,872 | 159 |
| 2000s | 41,897 | 147 |
| 2010s | 39,639 | 151 |
| 2020s | 17,842 | 187 |
Where Caroline is heading
Caroline has fallen 39% over the past decade, from 4,333 babies in 2015 to 2,646 in 2025.
Names like Caroline
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Caroline.