Carol
Girl name · #2240 in 2025 · Very rare
Carol is currently the #2240 girl name in the United States — 82 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1770, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,951 girls born in 2025 was named Carol.
Babies named Carol per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Carol first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1946, when 34,284 girls were named Carol — good for #5 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carol against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carol in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Carol is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Carol will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Carol is most common
State-level data for Carol is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Carol
Statistically, parents drawn to Carol tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cheryl, Connie, Cindy, Judy, and Joanne.
CherylConnieCindyJudyJoanneDianePamelaJanice
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carol | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 | #2239 |
| 2024 | 66 | #2637 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2415 |
| 2022 | 82 | #2277 |
| 2021 | 87 | #2154 |
| 2020 | 100 | #1908 |
| 2019 | 112 | #1816 |
| 2018 | 114 | #1787 |
| 2017 | 114 | #1815 |
| 2016 | 129 | #1660 |
| 2015 | 118 | #1770 |
| 2014 | 150 | #1487 |
| 2013 | 133 | #1616 |
| 2012 | 168 | #1384 |
| 2011 | 191 | #1250 |
| 2010 | 150 | #1495 |
| 2009 | 189 | #1284 |
| 2008 | 228 | #1130 |
| 2007 | 250 | #1048 |
| 2006 | 270 | #970 |
| 2005 | 351 | #758 |
| 2004 | 289 | #850 |
| 2003 | 276 | #869 |
| 2002 | 274 | #843 |
| 2001 | 278 | #831 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carol a popular girl name?
Carol ranked #2240 among girls in 2025 with 82 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1770.
When was the name Carol most popular?
Carol peaked in 1946, when 34,284 American girls received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1946 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carol?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,951 newborn American girls was named Carol. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.