Girl

Carolyn

KAR-uh-lin

Rare & Uncommon → Stable

✦ Meaning

“American English variant of Caroline, emerged in 20th century as a distinctly North American spelling of the classic European name.”

Popularity Over Time

Carolyn US popularity rank over timeRank 1243 in 2022 to rank 10 in 1942. Lower rank numbers are more popular.#10#627#12431900192019401960198020002024

Carolyn is not currently in the US top 1000.

Origin

EnglishGermanic

Syllables

3

Nicknames

CarrieCarolLynCarly

Style

ClassicVintageTimelessElegant

Famous Bearers

  • Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
  • Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew author)

Collections

Beautiful But Not Top 100 → Preppy & Surname Names → Vintage Revival →

Similar Names

Caroline

French Top 100

Sibling Name Ideas

Barbara

Greek Beautiful But Not Top 100

Diane

French Rare & Uncommon

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Cross-Cultural Notes

English variant, primarily North American

People Also Ask

American English variant of Caroline, emerged in 20th century as a distinctly North American spelling of the classic European name.

Carolyn is not currently in the US top 1000, making it a genuinely rare choice. Usage has stayed pretty consistent over the past decade.

Popular nicknames for Carolyn include Carrie, Carol, Lyn, Carly.

Names that pair beautifully with Carolyn include Barbara, Diane.