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Carolyn as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Carolyn

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The baby name Carolyn is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkærəlɪn/ (KAR-ə-lin).

Carolyn is English in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈkærəlɪn/ (KAR-ə-lin)

What is the meaning of the name Carolyn ?

The baby name Carolyn is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkærəlɪn/ (KAR-ə-lin).

Carolyn is English in Origin.

Carolyn is an English feminine name that developed as a phonetic variant of Caroline and, in North America, also as a blend of Carol with the suffix -lyn. Caroline is the French feminine form of Carolus, the Latin version of the Germanic Karl, meaning "free man," often interpreted today as "free person." Thus Carolyn carries the same sense of freedom and strength.

Documented in English-speaking use from the 19th century, Carolyn rose sharply in the United States during the mid-20th century, ranking among the most popular girls’ names in the 1940s and 1950s before declining with changing fashions. Related forms and cognates include Caroline, Karoline, Karolina, and Carolina; shorter relatives are Carol and Carole. Variant spellings such as Carolynn and Carolynne occur. Common nicknames are Carrie, Caro, Carly, Lyn, and Lina, giving the name both formal polish and easy, friendly short forms.

Carolyn has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Carolyn

Carolyn Jones Actor · Born 1930 · United States Carolyn Jones was an American actress best known for playing Morticia Addams on The Addams Family. She also appeared in films like The Bachelor Party and Marjorie Morningstar, earning major recognition in the late 1950s for her film work. Carolyn Murphy Actor · Born 1973 · United States Carolyn Murphy is best known as an American model who became one of Vogue’s most iconic faces. Over her career, she appeared on the magazine’s cover 73 times, making her one of the most featured models in Vogue history. Carolyn Hennesy Actor · Born 1962 · United States Carolyn Hennesy is an American actress and writer best known for her roles on General Hospital and Cougar Town. She has also appeared in Dark Justice and the TV movie Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare, and she is known as an animal advocate as well.
Carolyn McCormick Actor · Born 1959 · United States Carolyn McCormick is best known for playing Dr. Elizabeth Olivet in the Law & Order franchise. She’s an American actress recognized especially for her work on Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Carolyn – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2012 #1 — 970
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
JM 0 #77 11 3,714
PH 0 #87 10 5,607
TW 0 #88 13 4,523
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
BN Girls 0 #110 5 5,459
CY Girls 0 #112 10 3,755
OM 0 #115 7 6,215
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
PA 0 #134 5 3,797
CR 0 #135 24 5,526
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
MU 0 #135 3 3,613
EE Girls 0 #136 7 1,888
BW Girls 0 #138 11 4,216
PR Girls 0 #140 22 3,171
MT Girls 0 #151 3 3,773
JM Girls 0 #162 106 7,507
Sweden Girls 2022 #178 2 1,568
UY 0 #180 3 2,477
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #188 3 4,850
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
SG 0 #215 55 11,010
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
PS 0 #223 4 5,692
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #231 7 7,146
MO Girls 0 #239 13 7,056
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
JP Girls 0 #246 6 6,592
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
EC Girls 0 #253 6 3,650
TW Girls 0 #254 23 8,139
NG 0 #268 5 5,926
Canada Girls 2024 #275 11 2,795
IL 0 #278 5 6,291
QA Girls 0 #283 34 15,378
MY 0 #291 40 12,352
PH Girls 0 #302 90 13,098
CN Girls 0 #304 46 8,829
SA 0 #306 7 10,560
GH Girls 0 #309 16 6,973
DK Girls 0 #323 7 7,429
PE 0 #323 7 6,350
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
HK 0 #331 18 8,483
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
GT 0 #337 2 5,948
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
SG Girls 0 #349 246 18,916
MU Girls 0 #356 7 8,539
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
PL Girls 0 #361 4 5,096
OM Girls 0 #365 32 15,987
NL 0 #379 13 2,481
CL 0 #388 24 6,867
ZA 0 #393 55 14,421
CR Girls 0 #398 136 11,342
France Girls 2007 #402 3 3,164
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
Austria Girls 0 #406 15 1,885
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
Germany 0 #420 18 2,542
MX 0 #440 6 8,339
PA Girls 0 #450 32 9,861
PT Girls 0 #466 6 7,952
KW Girls 0 #473 43 19,177
GT Girls 0 #488 18 7,500
RU Girls 0 #489 10 11,913
AE Girls 0 #491 63 20,968
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
UY Girls 0 #500 11 6,731
CO 0 #507 4 7,768
PS Girls 0 #511 13 10,981
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
HK Girls 0 #532 84 16,104
BH 0 #535 19 17,937
IR Girls 0 #542 4 8,334
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BO Girls 0 #600 12 9,488
IL Girls 0 #602 16 11,648
IN Girls 0 #619 13 13,121
NG Girls 0 #622 167 15,093
AR Girls 0 #625 6 8,289
CL Girls 0 #645 210 14,098
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
IT 0 #691 24 4,183
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
United States Girls 2024 #711 206 8,487
Finland Girls 2026 #711 28 3,895
MY Girls 0 #722 278 24,821
Germany Girls 0 #741 98 4,949
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
ZA Girls 0 #772 401 25,928
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
SA Girls 0 #823 113 25,931
PE Girls 0 #829 115 14,861
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
NL Girls 0 #866 90 5,933
OM Boys 0 #916 3 17,948
Spain Girls 0 #925 59 5,561
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
EG Girls 0 #945 15 14,742
BR Girls 0 #984 9 12,708
NG Boys 0 #998 4 16,906
CO Girls 0 #1,015 64 16,140
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MX Girls 0 #1,151 33 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,180 3 25,439
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,201 11 19,440
DZ 0 #1,233 2 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,271 2 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,312 135 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,690 2 28,008

Carolyn is popular in 78 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
United States

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People also ask about Carolyn

Carolyn is predominantly a girl's name.
Carolyn is a 3 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkærəlɪn/ (KAR-ə-lin).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Caroline, Carolina, Carol, Carole, Carolynne and Carolyne.
Across languages, Carolyn has these equivalents: Caroline (French/English), Carolina (Spanish/Italian/English), Karolina (Polish/Slavic/Scandinavian), Carla (Italian/Spanish), Karla (German/Scandinavian), and 1 more.
Yes, very popular — Carolyn ranked #1 in Ireland in 2012, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Carolyn ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2012).
Carolyn's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2002 to #1 in 2012 in Ireland.
Yes — 4 notable people named Carolyn are in our database, including Carolyn Jones (Actor), Carolyn Murphy (Actor), Carolyn Hennesy (Actor).