Carol Girl

Popularity: #866 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KAIR-uhl //ˈkɛr.əl//

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: 'free man'; English: 'song of happiness'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Carol has its roots in the Old Germanic name "Karl," which means "free man." This name evolved into the Latin "Carolus," which was used in various forms across Europe. The transition into English occurred through the Old French form "Charles," which was brought to England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

The feminine form "Carol" emerged in the 19th century as a derivative of the male name, often associated with the word "carol," meaning a joyful song or hymn, particularly those sung during the Christmas season. Historically, the name Carol has been linked to several notable figures.

One of the most significant was Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, who ruled as King of the Franks and Lombards and later became the Emperor of the Romans in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. His legacy contributed to the popularity of the name across Europe.

Additionally, the name has been borne by various saints, including Saint Carolus Borromeus, a prominent figure in the Counter-Reformation during the 16th century, further embedding the name within Christian tradition. Culturally, the name Carol has resonated through its association with music and celebration, particularly due to the tradition of caroling during the Christmas season.

This connection to joyful expression and community has helped sustain the name's presence in various cultures. The diminutive form "Carrie" has also been used historically, adding to the name's versatility.

Overall, Carol embodies a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution, historical significance, and cultural resonance that has allowed it to endure through the centuries.

Famous people named Carol

In this section, you will find notable people named Carol. 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 Carol who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Carol 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.

Carol Burnett is an actress and comedian best known for The Carol Burnett Show, Annie, and The Four Seasons.

Carol King is a singer-songwriter best known for Tapestry, You've Got a Friend, and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.

Carol Danvers is a fictional character in Marvel Comics best known as Captain Marvel.

Carol Vorderman is a television presenter and author best known for Countdown, The Pride of Britain Awards, and Loose Women.

Carol Reed is a film director best known for The Third Man, Oliver!, and The Fallen Idol.

Fictional characters named Carol

The following list of fictional characters named Carol is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Carol Danvers is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe. She is a former U.S. Air Force pilot who becomes the superhero Captain Marvel, known for her incredible strength and ability to fly.

Sibling suggestions

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

CatherineClaraCassandraCarinaCeliaCynthia

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Carol. 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.

CarlaCarmenCoraCeliaCathyCarlyCaraCayla

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Carol was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Carol has ranked as high as #14 nationally, which occurred in 1946, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and Ohio.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Carol 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 Carol 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 Carol.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 82 0 82
2024 66 0 66
2023 74 0 74
2022 82 0 82
2021 87 0 87
2020 100 0 100
2019 112 0 112
2018 114 0 114
2017 114 0 114
2016 129 0 129
2015 118 0 118
2014 150 0 150
2013 133 0 133
2012 168 0 168
2011 191 0 191
2010 150 0 150
2009 194 5 189
2008 228 0 228
2007 259 9 250
2006 275 5 270
2005 365 14 351
2004 289 0 289
2003 276 0 276
2002 274 0 274
2001 278 0 278
2000 322 0 322
1999 307 5 302
1998 351 0 351
1997 374 0 374
1996 412 0 412
1995 460 0 460
1994 513 12 501
1993 513 7 506
1992 623 11 612
1991 682 10 672
1990 777 15 762
1989 775 23 752
1988 760 19 741
1987 778 15 763
1986 792 22 770
1985 854 13 841
1984 923 17 906
1983 956 14 942
1982 958 14 944
1981 1,059 15 1,044
1980 1,126 21 1,105
1979 1,180 17 1,163
1978 1,280 16 1,264
1977 1,365 17 1,348
1976 1,508 16 1,492
1975 1,798 14 1,784
1974 2,060 22 2,038
1973 2,480 23 2,457
1972 3,041 31 3,010
1971 3,887 30 3,857
1970 5,090 26 5,064
1969 6,180 42 6,138
1968 7,120 42 7,078
1967 7,534 43 7,491
1966 8,302 43 8,259
1965 10,153 56 10,097
1964 12,178 53 12,125
1963 12,546 54 12,492
1962 14,597 74 14,523
1961 16,746 79 16,667
1960 17,548 85 17,463
1959 18,216 76 18,140
1958 19,753 70 19,683
1957 21,985 87 21,898
1956 21,500 92 21,408
1955 22,124 78 22,046
1954 22,335 88 22,247
1953 22,370 80 22,290
1952 24,104 104 24,000
1951 24,891 110 24,781
1950 26,292 129 26,163
1949 26,912 132 26,780
1948 29,103 126 28,977
1947 33,706 163 33,543
1946 34,458 174 34,284
1945 30,581 192 30,389
1944 30,633 177 30,456
1943 31,917 231 31,686
1942 30,539 267 30,272
1941 24,430 243 24,187
1940 22,012 253 21,759
1939 20,424 258 20,166
1938 19,690 269 19,421
1937 17,614 278 17,336
1936 14,785 265 14,520
1935 11,941 206 11,735
1934 10,525 252 10,273
1933 8,489 269 8,220
1932 6,788 218 6,570
1931 5,138 246 4,892
1930 4,818 220 4,598
1929 4,489 210 4,279
1928 3,544 195 3,349
1927 2,871 228 2,643
1926 2,597 170 2,427
1925 2,432 146 2,286
1924 2,226 132 2,094
1923 1,969 105 1,864
1922 1,655 133 1,522
1921 1,498 124 1,374
1920 1,247 107 1,140
1919 1,007 75 932
1918 1,109 98 1,011
1917 895 97 798
1916 887 98 789
1915 674 78 596
1914 491 54 437
1913 366 34 332
1912 356 32 324
1911 193 12 181
1910 199 14 185
1909 161 19 142
1908 153 7 146
1907 123 11 112
1906 104 7 97
1905 97 6 91
1904 98 0 98
1903 77 10 67
1902 86 6 80
1901 61 0 61
1900 76 6 70
1899 65 0 65
1898 68 5 63
1897 49 7 42
1896 36 0 36
1895 54 6 48
1894 31 0 31
1893 30 0 30
1892 35 6 29
1891 30 6 24
1890 31 5 26
1889 30 0 30
1888 20 0 20
1887 15 0 15
1886 13 0 13
1885 11 0 11
1884 13 5 8
1882 6 0 6
1881 10 0 10
1880 7 0 7

Top States for Carol (2024)

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
TX 10
67%
FL 5
33%