Caroline
Girl · KA-ro-line · Germanic
Caroline is a girls' name of Germanic origin, meaning “free man”. In 2025 it ranked 1,324th for girls in the UK (25 babies) and 96th for girls in the US (2,646 babies).
What does Caroline mean?
Germanic: French feminine form of Charles, via Latin Carolus
“free man”
Brought to Britain by Caroline of Ansbach, queen consort of George II.
- Say it
- KA-ro-line
More on Wiktionary.
Is Caroline a girl's or a boy's name?
Caroline is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 25 girls in the UK and 2,646 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Caroline in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,324among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 25about 1 in 11,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 12% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 25 girls in the UK were named Caroline, making it the 1,324th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,246th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 289 girls.
Half of all the girls named Caroline in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2025, 28 girls in the UK were given Caroline or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,081, up from #1,324 for this spelling alone.
- Caroline 25
- Karoline 3
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,271st in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#81), 1944 (#95), 1954 (#62), 1964 (#15), 1974 (#19) and 1984 (#46).
Caroline in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #1,324 |
| 2024 | 23 | #1,449 |
| 2023 | 37 | #1,004 |
| 2022 | 32 | #1,118 |
| 2021 | 32 | #1,138 |
| 2020 | 28 | #1,246 |
| 2019 | 33 | #1,110 |
| 2018 | 36 | #1,050 |
| 2017 | 34 | #1,104 |
| 2016 | 58 | #752 |
| 2015 | 67 | #663 |
| 2014 | 43 | #936 |
| 2013 | 63 | #701 |
| 2012 | 34 | #1,104 |
| 2011 | 57 | #733 |
| 2010 | 63 | #664 |
| 2009 | 65 | #631 |
| 2008 | 62 | #658 |
| 2007 | 58 | #662 |
| 2006 | 68 | #574 |
| 2005 | 79 | #499 |
| 2004 | 95 | #419 |
| 2003 | 107 | #382 |
| 2002 | 95 | #387 |
| 2001 | 118 | #330 |
| 2000 | 152 | #281 |
| 1999 | 190 | #243 |
| 1998 | 215 | #228 |
| 1997 | 269 | #183 |
| 1996 | 289 | #170 |
How popular is Caroline in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #96among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 2,646about 1 in 610 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 28% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.3%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 2,646 girls in the US were named Caroline, making it the 96th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 71st. Its busiest year was 2000, with 5,022 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 9 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Caroline than any year since 1988.
Half of all the girls named Caroline in the US since 1880 were born between 1954 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
Caroline in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,646 | #96 |
| 2024 | 2,730 | #92 |
| 2023 | 2,868 | #83 |
| 2022 | 3,030 | #77 |
| 2021 | 3,204 | #80 |
| 2020 | 3,364 | #71 |
| 2019 | 3,920 | #61 |
| 2018 | 4,167 | #56 |
| 2017 | 4,294 | #55 |
| 2016 | 4,437 | #56 |
| 2015 | 4,333 | #62 |
| 2014 | 4,348 | #59 |
| 2013 | 3,983 | #63 |
| 2012 | 3,421 | #80 |
| 2011 | 3,370 | #87 |
| 2010 | 3,360 | #88 |
| 2009 | 3,624 | #87 |
| 2008 | 3,545 | #94 |
| 2007 | 3,409 | #99 |
| 2006 | 3,791 | #89 |
| 2005 | 3,974 | #83 |
| 2004 | 4,379 | #74 |
| 2003 | 4,585 | #68 |
| 2002 | 4,657 | #67 |
| 2001 | 4,864 | #62 |
| 2000 | 5,022 | #65 |
| 1999 | 4,474 | #71 |
| 1998 | 4,276 | #75 |
| 1997 | 4,439 | #75 |
| 1996 | 4,466 | #78 |
| 1995 | 3,799 | #92 |
| 1994 | 3,452 | #94 |
| 1993 | 3,083 | #105 |
| 1992 | 3,176 | #105 |
| 1991 | 2,843 | #116 |
| 1990 | 2,819 | #116 |
| 1989 | 2,661 | #113 |
| 1988 | 2,326 | #122 |
| 1987 | 2,047 | #135 |
| 1986 | 1,802 | #157 |
| 1985 | 1,751 | #164 |
| 1984 | 1,633 | #167 |
| 1983 | 1,482 | #183 |
| 1982 | 1,537 | #178 |
| 1981 | 1,391 | #193 |
| 1980 | 1,313 | #200 |
| 1979 | 1,354 | #198 |
| 1978 | 1,308 | #200 |
| 1977 | 1,204 | #210 |
| 1976 | 1,224 | #197 |
| 1975 | 1,232 | #198 |
| 1974 | 1,196 | #212 |
| 1973 | 1,112 | #229 |
| 1972 | 1,071 | #251 |
| 1971 | 1,215 | #241 |
| 1970 | 1,371 | #229 |
| 1969 | 1,352 | #224 |
| 1968 | 1,411 | #215 |
| 1967 | 1,449 | #210 |
| 1966 | 1,551 | #202 |
| 1965 | 1,815 | #187 |
| 1964 | 2,106 | #179 |
| 1963 | 1,689 | #208 |
| 1962 | 1,989 | #186 |
| 1961 | 2,198 | #176 |
| 1960 | 1,210 | #254 |
| 1959 | 1,044 | #274 |
| 1958 | 990 | #282 |
| 1957 | 1,137 | #253 |
| 1956 | 702 | #329 |
| 1955 | 742 | #315 |
| 1954 | 771 | #302 |
| 1953 | 885 | #280 |
| 1952 | 916 | #263 |
| 1951 | 919 | #254 |
| 1950 | 879 | #257 |
| 1949 | 1,001 | #235 |
| 1948 | 1,080 | #226 |
| 1947 | 1,150 | #220 |
| 1946 | 1,091 | #214 |
| 1945 | 1,013 | #197 |
| 1944 | 1,213 | #178 |
| 1943 | 1,353 | #171 |
| 1942 | 1,390 | #168 |
| 1941 | 1,173 | #174 |
| 1940 | 1,161 | #172 |
| 1939 | 1,005 | #186 |
| 1938 | 1,115 | #181 |
| 1937 | 1,094 | #181 |
| 1936 | 1,075 | #177 |
| 1935 | 1,048 | #178 |
| 1934 | 1,069 | #174 |
| 1933 | 1,050 | #173 |
| 1932 | 1,103 | #174 |
| 1931 | 1,125 | #165 |
| 1930 | 1,160 | #172 |
| 1929 | 1,192 | #171 |
| 1928 | 1,189 | #175 |
| 1927 | 1,167 | #179 |
| 1926 | 1,217 | #174 |
| 1925 | 1,193 | #185 |
| 1924 | 1,302 | #175 |
| 1923 | 1,304 | #173 |
| 1922 | 1,269 | #176 |
| 1921 | 1,425 | #162 |
| 1920 | 1,436 | #159 |
| 1919 | 1,296 | #169 |
| 1918 | 1,458 | #154 |
| 1917 | 1,368 | #152 |
| 1916 | 1,385 | #144 |
| 1915 | 1,402 | #137 |
| 1914 | 989 | #148 |
| 1913 | 805 | #149 |
| 1912 | 785 | #139 |
| 1911 | 550 | #146 |
| 1910 | 553 | #146 |
| 1909 | 443 | #157 |
| 1908 | 449 | #150 |
| 1907 | 437 | #151 |
| 1906 | 409 | #144 |
| 1905 | 407 | #146 |
| 1904 | 429 | #136 |
| 1903 | 389 | #141 |
| 1902 | 452 | #126 |
| 1901 | 406 | #125 |
| 1900 | 455 | #135 |
| 1899 | 393 | #124 |
| 1898 | 441 | #122 |
| 1897 | 456 | #112 |
| 1896 | 437 | #110 |
| 1895 | 484 | #105 |
| 1894 | 473 | #103 |
| 1893 | 483 | #99 |
| 1892 | 476 | #100 |
| 1891 | 402 | #100 |
| 1890 | 455 | #94 |
| 1889 | 491 | #84 |
| 1888 | 458 | #89 |
| 1887 | 398 | #84 |
| 1886 | 370 | #91 |
| 1885 | 399 | #78 |
| 1884 | 380 | #78 |
| 1883 | 321 | #86 |
| 1882 | 304 | #85 |
| 1881 | 316 | #73 |
| 1880 | 306 | #75 |
Nicknames for Caroline
Names like Caroline
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Charlotte Emma Alice Chloe Catherine Eloise Adeline Emily Isabelle Zoe Sophie Madeleine
Other spellings of Caroline
Names related to Caroline
Carolina Coraline Carolyn Carlyn Carolanne Carolann Carlene Carolynn Koraline Carlin Caraline
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry William Archie Charlie Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Myles Charles