Carolyn is a girl's name of Irish and Celtic origin. Its meaning is not recorded in the standard references we check — we would rather tell you that plainly than guess. In 2024 it was given to 206 girls in the United States.
Carolyn at a glance
Gender
Girl name
Origin
Irish & Celtic · English & American
Meaning
Not recorded in standard references
Pronunciation
/ˈkɛɹəlɪn/
Also spelled
Caroline
About the name Carolyn
Carolyn belongs to the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. Its roots are documented, even though its precise meaning is not recorded in the standard references — an honest gap we prefer to a confident guess. It travels in a few spellings: Caroline.
In the United States, Carolyn first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #10 in 1942, and in 2024 206 babies received the name — 556,593 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.
The meaning of Carolyn is not recorded in the standard references we check. Rather than repeat an unsourced claim, we leave it open — its Irish and Celtic origin is documented, but its exact meaning is not.
Is Carolyn a boy or girl name?
Carolyn is a girl name. In 2024, 206 babies received the name in the US.
What origin is the name Carolyn?
Carolyn comes from the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. It is also spelled Caroline.
How popular is the name Carolyn?
Carolyn first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #10 in 1942, and 206 babies were given the name in 2024.
How do you pronounce Carolyn?
Carolyn is pronounced /ˈkɛɹəlɪn/ (IPA).
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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.
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