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Carly as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Carly

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The baby name Carly is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɑːrli/ (KAR-lee).

Carly is English in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈkɑːrli/ (KAR-lee)

What is the meaning of the name Carly ?

The baby name Carly is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɑːrli/ (KAR-lee).

Carly is English in Origin.

Carly is an English feminine diminutive formed with the -y ending from Carla or other Carl/Charles names, ultimately from the Germanic Karl, Latinized as Carolus, meaning “free man,” broadened today to “free person.” It also appears as a modern short form of Caroline.

Its standalone use rose across English-speaking countries in the late 20th century, aided by high-profile bearers such as singer Carly Simon and later Carly Rae Jepsen, giving the name a bright, contemporary image. Common variants and spellings include Carley, Carlie, Carlee, Carleigh, Carli, Karly, Karlee, Karlie, and Karley; related forms are Carla, Carol, and Caroline. Though past its peak in many regions, Carly remains well known and easy to spell and pronounce, with a friendly tone that suits both formal and casual settings.

Carly has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Carly

Carly Fiorina Politician · Born 1954 · United States Carly Fiorina is best known for serving as CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005, making her the first woman to lead a Fortune Top-20 company. She is an American business executive and politician. Carly Patterson Musician · Born 1988 · United States Carly Rae Patterson is best known for winning the Olympic all-around gymnastics title at the 2004 Olympics, becoming the first American woman to do so at a non-boycotted Games. She is also a singer and songwriter and has been inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Carly Chaikin Actor · Born 1990 · United States Carly Chaikin is an American actress best known for playing Dalia Royce on Suburgatory. She began acting in 2009 and landed her breakout role two years later when she joined the ABC sitcom.
Carly Schroeder Actor · Born 1990 · United States Carly Schroeder is an American actress best known for roles in Lizzie McGuire, Mean Creek, and Gracie. She also served as a U.S. Army officer. Carly Pope Actor · Born 1980 · Canada Carly Pope is a Canadian actress best known for her roles in Popular, The Collector, and Suits. She has also appeared on Arrow. Carly Rose Sonenclar Actor · Born 1999 · United States Carly Rose Sonenclar, known professionally as Carly Rose, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress best known for finishing as the runner-up on The X Factor USA. She is also known for songs like "Feeling Good" and "Brokenhearted."

Carly – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2024 #1 — 911
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
HT Boys 0 #32 3 903
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
EC 0 #120 2 2,502
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
BW Girls 0 #147 5 4,216
MT Girls 0 #150 4 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
CR 0 #159 7 5,526
PR Boys 0 #165 10 2,508
Sweden Girls 2012 #170 3 1,538
AE 0 #182 6 10,220
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AR 0 #191 3 2,915
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
NA Girls 0 #234 4 7,146
MO Girls 0 #240 12 7,056
PT 0 #246 5 4,161
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
EC Girls 0 #252 7 3,650
Canada Girls 2024 #268 18 2,795
JM Girls 0 #270 9 7,507
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
SG 0 #278 5 11,010
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
JM Boys 0 #290 4 6,876
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
HK 0 #314 35 8,483
CN Girls 0 #316 34 8,829
PE 0 #323 7 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #326 7 5,862
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
GH Girls 0 #330 8 6,973
GT 0 #336 3 5,948
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
QA Girls 0 #339 5 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #346 6 5,378
MY 0 #350 5 12,352
BO 0 #355 27 6,868
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
NL 0 #374 18 2,481
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
CL 0 #396 16 6,867
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
France Girls 2021 #402 4 3,185
MX 0 #402 12 8,339
France Boys 2016 #405 4 2,872
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
PH Boys 0 #406 3 11,440
UY Boys 0 #408 6 5,922
ZA 0 #408 40 14,421
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PH Girls 0 #423 7 13,098
AR Boys 0 #428 40 7,628
Spain 0 #440 13 2,326
BO Girls 0 #446 173 9,488
PT Girls 0 #463 9 7,952
HK Girls 0 #466 150 16,104
GT Girls 0 #468 38 7,500
CR Girls 0 #478 55 11,342
RU Girls 0 #483 16 11,913
GT Boys 0 #495 5 7,625
UY Girls 0 #496 15 6,731
PA Boys 0 #500 6 9,305
CO 0 #504 7 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
PA Girls 0 #510 9 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #520 6 11,303
AE Girls 0 #528 26 20,968
CM Girls 0 #531 10 11,671
PS Girls 0 #539 9 10,981
IR Girls 0 #543 3 8,334
HK Boys 0 #553 5 12,905
KW Girls 0 #556 6 19,177
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
AR Girls 0 #566 34 8,289
SG Girls 0 #566 21 18,916
CM Boys 0 #567 9 12,054
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
United States Girls 2024 #617 308 8,487
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
IL Girls 0 #639 7 11,648
CL Boys 0 #648 18 13,390
LB 0 #649 10 13,263
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
IT 0 #701 14 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #733 6 3,895
ZA Girls 0 #735 457 25,928
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
CL Girls 0 #740 112 14,098
NG Girls 0 #747 40 15,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
NL Girls 0 #793 163 5,933
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
Germany Girls 0 #827 12 4,949
PE Boys 0 #862 17 14,506
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
United States Boys 2007 #866 6 7,493
PE Girls 0 #871 73 14,861
CO Boys 0 #892 29 15,656
Spain Girls 0 #904 80 5,561
Spain Boys 0 #910 21 5,610
BR Girls 0 #913 29 12,708
SA Girls 0 #920 16 25,931
NG Boys 0 #941 11 16,906
NL Boys 0 #941 11 5,873
MX Boys 0 #965 18 16,355
MY Girls 0 #967 28 24,821
MX Girls 0 #975 209 17,781
CO Girls 0 #1,008 71 16,140
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
ZA Boys 0 #1,098 81 25,619
MA 0 #1,115 14 20,986
AE Boys 0 #1,141 3 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,175 8 25,439
DZ 0 #1,230 5 20,130
TR 0 #1,247 8 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,283 164 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,453 19 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,685 7 28,008

Carly is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
Canada
France
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Carly

Carly is predominantly a girl's name.
Carly is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkɑːrli/ (KAR-lee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Carlie, Carlee, Carli, Carleigh, Karly and Karli.
Yes, very popular — Carly ranked #1 in Ireland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Carly ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2024).
Carly's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2014 to #1 in 2024 in Ireland.
Yes — 7 notable people named Carly are in our database, including Carly Fiorina (Politician), Carly Patterson (Musician), Carly Chaikin (Actor).