What origin is the name Carolyn?

Carolyn comes from german naming traditions. Names from this origin often carry meanings tied to nature, virtues or heritage.

Is Carolyn a popular name?

Carolyn is very rare in official US birth records — fewer than 5 babies of this gender were given the name in any year we checked.

What are good brother names for Carolyn?

Names from the same german tradition pair naturally with Carolyn — for example William, Henry, Paul. You can browse more on our german names page.

Carolyn

Q: Is Carolyn a rare name?

Yes. Carolyn does not appear in US Social Security birth records, which list every name given to at least 5 babies, so it is rare in the US.

Discover the meaning and origin of the name Carolyn

Carolyn

Unisex

german

3 syllables

Carolyn is a german unisex name meaning "From the name carol; joy. song of happiness. also feminine variant of charles: manly; variant of caroline: strong. an italian feminine form of charles. famous bearer: 18th century caroline of ansbach was the german wife of english king george ii. lady caroline lamb had a famous liaison with poet lord byron".

Parents who choose Carolyn pick a unisex name from the german tradition, meaning "From the name carol; joy. song of happiness. also feminine variant of charles: manly; variant of caroline: strong. an italian feminine form of charles. famous bearer: 18th century caroline of ansbach was the german wife of english king george ii. lady caroline lamb had a famous liaison with poet lord byron". It has 3 syllables.

Origin: german
Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 3

Meaning compiled from public name lists.

Meaning

From the name carol; joy. song of happiness. also feminine variant of charles: manly; variant of caroline: strong. an italian feminine form of charles. famous bearer: 18th century caroline of ansbach was the german wife of english king george ii. lady caroline lamb had a famous liaison with poet lord byron

Popularity

Very rare in US records (source: US Social Security Administration birth records (best rank 2008–2017))

Quick answers about Carolyn

Very rare in US records

What does Carolyn mean?

Carolyn is a unisex name of german origin meaning "From the name carol; joy. song of happiness. also feminine variant of charles: manly; variant of caroline: strong. an italian feminine form of charles. famous bearer: 18th century caroline of ansbach was the german wife of english king george ii. lady caroline lamb had a famous liaison with poet lord byron".

Is Carolyn a rare name?

Yes. Carolyn does not appear in official US birth records for 2017, meaning fewer than 5 babies got the name that year.

Brother names that go with Carolyn

William Henry Paul Raymond Lukas Leon

Combine Carolyn with another name

Our free name combiner blends two names into new baby name ideas.

Names with a similar meaning to Carolyn

Carolyn means "From the name carol; joy. song of happiness. also feminine variant of charles: manly; variant of caroline: strong. an italian feminine form of charles. famous bearer: 18th century caroline of ansbach was the german wife of english king george ii. lady caroline lamb had a famous liaison with poet lord byron" — these names share that spirit.