The baby name Carey is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KAIR-ee (/ˈkɛəri/),KAR-ee (/ˈkæri/).
The baby name Carey is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KAIR-ee (/ˈkɛəri/),KAR-ee (/ˈkæri/).
Carey is Irish, Welsh in Origin.
Carey is a unisex given name with multiple linguistic roots. As an Anglicized Irish surname Ó Ciardha (“descendant of Ciardha”), it derives from the element ciar, “dark, dusky,” yielding the sense “descendant of the dark one.” It also arises from Welsh and English locative surnames Carey/Carew, tied to Welsh caer, “fort,” sometimes analyzed as caerau, “forts,” or as “fort on the slope,” giving a toponymic meaning like “from the fortress.”
Used as a given name in Britain, Ireland, and North America from the 18th–19th centuries onward, Carey gained wider unisex currency in the mid‑20th century. Variant spellings include Cary, Karey, and Kary; related contemporary forms Kerry, Keri/Kerri, and Kari reflect sound-alike influence but distinct origins (notably Irish Ciarraí). Do not confuse Carey with Carrie, a diminutive of Caroline/Carol. Notable bearers include Carey Mulligan and Carey Price.
| Carey Mulligan Carey Mulligan is a British actress best known for films like An Education, Promising Young Woman, and The Great Gatsby. Born on 28 May 1985, she has won a British Academy Film Award and earned nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. | Carey Lowell Carey Lowell is an American actress and former model, best known for playing Assistant DA Jamie Ross on Law & Order and Bond girl Pam Bouvier in Licence to Kill. She appeared on Law & Order from 1996 to 2001 and returned again in 2022. | Carey Bell Carey Bell was an American blues musician best known for his harmonica playing in the Chicago blues style. He first played harmonica and bass guitar backing other blues artists from the late 1950s into the early 1970s, then went on to a solo career with notable albums like Carey Bell's Blues Harp, Last Night, and Deep Down. |
| Name | Last Name(s) | Mother | Mother famous for | Fame Level | Father | Father famous for | Fame Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carey | Harrison | Lilli Palmer | television actor | ★★★★★ | Rex Harrison | television actor | ★★★★★ |
| Carey | Wayne Van Dyke | Dick Van Dyke | singer | ★★★★★ |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Girls | 1985 | #1 | — | 536 |
| MT | 0 | #43 | 1 | 1,767 | |
| MO | 0 | #52 | 1 | 2,706 | |
| CN | 0 | #82 | 5 | 3,857 | |
| JM | 0 | #90 | 4 | 3,714 | |
| TW | 0 | #99 | 5 | 4,523 | |
| PH | 0 | #110 | 1 | 5,607 | |
| ID | Boys | 0 | #135 | 1 | 4,130 |
| BW | Girls | 0 | #151 | 1 | 4,216 |
| CR | 0 | #165 | 1 | 5,526 | |
| HU | Girls | 0 | #225 | 1 | 3,308 |
| MO | Boys | 0 | #230 | 5 | 5,842 |
| JM | Boys | 0 | #233 | 40 | 6,876 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #236 | 2 | 7,146 |
| MO | Girls | 0 | #240 | 12 | 7,056 |
| BD | 0 | #241 | 1 | 5,992 | |
| GH | 0 | #248 | 1 | 5,396 | |
| JP | Girls | 0 | #251 | 1 | 6,592 |
| TW | Boys | 0 | #253 | 4 | 7,111 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #264 | 13 | 8,139 |
| JM | Girls | 0 | #276 | 3 | 7,507 |
| SG | 0 | #278 | 5 | 11,010 | |
| Canada | Girls | 2001 | #283 | 6 | 2,435 |
| Canada | Boys | 2021 | #308 | 8 | 2,600 |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #308 | 12 | 9,639 |
| CN | Girls | 0 | #312 | 38 | 8,829 |
| HK | 0 | #313 | 36 | 8,483 | |
| MY | 0 | #320 | 11 | 12,352 | |
| GH | Girls | 0 | #337 | 1 | 6,973 |
| GT | 0 | #338 | 1 | 5,948 | |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #342 | 2 | 15,378 |
| CZ | Girls | 0 | #351 | 1 | 5,378 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #361 | 1 | 8,138 |
| PL | Girls | 0 | #364 | 1 | 5,096 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #406 | 3 | 11,440 |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #421 | 4 | 15,987 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #426 | 4 | 13,098 |
| ZA | 0 | #426 | 22 | 14,421 | |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #485 | 131 | 16,104 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #503 | 8 | 10,188 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #505 | 23 | 12,905 |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #505 | 1 | 9,305 |
| PA | Girls | 0 | #518 | 1 | 9,861 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #521 | 3 | 11,913 |
| IQ | Girls | 0 | #525 | 1 | 11,303 |
| UY | Girls | 0 | #536 | 1 | 6,731 |
| GT | Girls | 0 | #540 | 2 | 7,500 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #542 | 6 | 10,981 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #555 | 32 | 18,916 |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #556 | 5 | 11,671 |
| LY | 0 | #558 | 2 | 12,703 | |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #561 | 1 | 19,177 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| CR | Girls | 0 | #570 | 4 | 11,342 |
| CM | Boys | 0 | #575 | 1 | 12,054 |
| BH | 0 | #586 | 2 | 17,937 | |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #597 | 1 | 20,968 |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #604 | 2 | 10,045 |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #625 | 1 | 10,983 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #643 | 3 | 11,648 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #653 | 2 | 13,121 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #688 | 10 | 17,960 |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #697 | 1 | 13,071 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #742 | 2 | 18,093 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #806 | 1 | 18,755 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #819 | 8 | 15,093 |
| TN | 0 | #865 | 1 | 13,765 | |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #875 | 18 | 7,044 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #890 | 105 | 24,821 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #912 | 5 | 8,487 |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #914 | 2 | 14,098 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #924 | 2 | 15,035 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #976 | 166 | 25,928 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #981 | 1 | 15,656 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #995 | 7 | 16,906 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #1,007 | 3 | 14,742 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,008 | 7 | 25,931 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,009 | 2 | 14,861 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,032 | 2 | 16,355 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,036 | 4 | 16,750 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,101 | 11 | 25,439 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,140 | 4 | 22,615 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #1,150 | 3 | 16,140 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,160 | 24 | 17,781 |
| MA | 0 | #1,196 | 4 | 20,986 | |
| TR | 0 | #1,253 | 2 | 19,440 | |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,264 | 9 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,688 | 4 | 28,008 |
Carey is popular in 47 countries — most recent births per country:
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