Carlene Girl

Popularity: #943 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: kar-LEEN //kɑːrˈliːn//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: free man; French: strong

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Carlene is derived from the masculine name Charles, which has its roots in the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man." The name Karl was adopted into Latin as Carolus, which subsequently influenced the Old French form Charles. The transition into English occurred during the Norman Conquest of the 11th century, when many Norman names were introduced into the English language.

The feminine form Carlene likely emerged as a diminutive or derivative of Charles, incorporating the suffix -ene, which is often used in English to denote femininity or endearment. Historically, the name Charles has been borne by numerous notable figures, including Charlemagne (Charles the Great), who was crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800 AD and is a significant figure in European history.

The name has also been associated with various kings and saints throughout the centuries, contributing to its enduring presence in European culture. The feminine form Carlene, while less common, can be traced back to the 20th century as a variation that reflects the trend of creating feminine versions of traditionally male names.

Culturally, names derived from Charles have often symbolized nobility and strength, reflecting the characteristics associated with the historical figures who bore the name. The use of Carlene may evoke similar connotations of grace and resilience, as it retains a connection to its masculine counterpart while establishing its own identity.

The name's construction also aligns with a broader tradition in English-speaking cultures of adapting names to fit gender norms, allowing for a personal and familial connection to the historical significance of Charles.

Famous people named Carlene

In this section, you will find notable people named Carlene. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Carlene who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Carlene who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Carlene Carter is a singer-songwriter best known for her albums Musical Shapes, I Fell in Love, and Little Acts of Treason.

Carlene Hatcher Polite is an author best known for her novel The Flagellants and her contributions to African American literature.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Carlene, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CarlaCharlotteCarmenCassandraCecilia

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Carlene. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CarlyKarlaCoralineCarmenCarinaCassandraCarlynCharlene

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Carlene was first seen in the United States in 1895.

Carlene has ranked as high as #838 nationally, which occurred in 1955, and has been most popular in California, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Carlene has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Carlene is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Carlene was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Carlene.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 5 5
2024 12 12
2023 7 7
2022 15 15
2021 9 9
2020 12 12
2019 14 14
2018 20 20
2017 16 16
2016 18 18
2015 17 17
2014 19 19
2013 18 18
2012 17 17
2011 23 23
2010 21 21
2009 32 32
2008 34 34
2007 31 31
2006 35 35
2005 38 38
2004 33 33
2003 38 38
2002 34 34
2001 49 49
2000 82 82
1999 23 23
1998 40 40
1997 34 34
1996 49 49
1995 59 59
1994 64 64
1993 75 75
1992 68 68
1991 90 90
1990 80 80
1989 75 75
1988 62 62
1987 64 64
1986 71 71
1985 77 77
1984 79 79
1983 82 82
1982 93 93
1981 87 87
1980 98 98
1979 88 88
1978 76 76
1977 73 73
1976 84 84
1975 86 86
1974 108 108
1973 107 107
1972 114 114
1971 141 141
1970 150 150
1969 189 189
1968 152 152
1967 180 180
1966 205 205
1965 239 239
1964 267 267
1963 262 262
1962 276 276
1961 302 302
1960 317 317
1959 333 333
1958 355 355
1957 342 342
1956 301 301
1955 370 370
1954 302 302
1953 339 339
1952 340 340
1951 290 290
1950 330 330
1949 298 298
1948 316 316
1947 353 353
1946 315 315
1945 257 257
1944 270 270
1943 309 309
1942 293 293
1941 321 321
1940 294 294
1939 294 294
1938 277 277
1937 254 254
1936 285 285
1935 234 234
1934 256 256
1933 208 208
1932 175 175
1931 156 156
1930 134 134
1929 140 140
1928 119 119
1927 92 92
1926 101 101
1925 67 67
1924 79 79
1923 64 64
1922 58 58
1921 54 54
1920 65 65
1919 53 53
1918 47 47
1917 45 45
1916 37 37
1915 42 42
1914 28 28
1913 17 17
1912 14 14
1911 13 13
1910 9 9
1909 9 9
1908 13 13
1907 5 5
1906 8 8
1904 5 5
1895 5 5

Top States for Carlene (2009)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 6
100%