Girl
Carol
strong, free man
About Carol
There's something wonderfully unpretentious about Carol—a name that speaks to straightforward charm and genuine warmth. While it experienced tremendous popularity mid-20th century, choosing Carol today represents a bold revival of classic simplicity in an era of increasingly elaborate names. The two-syllable structure and single-vowel opening create an immediate, friendly quality that makes the name feel like home. Carol's seasonal association with songs and celebration adds layers of joyful connotation without overwhelming the name's essential character. This choice works beautifully for parents wanting to honor older generations while giving their daughter a name that's refreshingly uncommon among her peers. Carol's brevity makes it strong and memorable, requiring no embellishment or explanation. The name carries an honest, down-to-earth quality that suggests reliability, kindness, and approachability—traits any parent would hope to see in their child. Carol pairs effortlessly with virtually any middle name or surname, and its straightforward spelling ensures your daughter won't spend her life correcting others. Sometimes the most meaningful choices are the simplest ones.
Popularity of the Name Carol
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #685 | ||||
| 1881 | #543 | ||||
| 1882 | #827 | ||||
| 1884 | #800 | ||||
| 1885 | #661 | ||||
| 1886 | #638 | ||||
| 1887 | #590 | ||||
| 1888 | #561 | ||||
| 1889 | #443 | ||||
| 1890 | #510 | ||||
| 1891 | #526 | ||||
| 1892 | #504 | ||||
| 1893 | #503 | ||||
| 1894 | #519 | ||||
| 1895 | #404 | ||||
| 1896 | #490 | ||||
| 1897 | #455 | ||||
| 1898 | #391 | ||||
| 1899 | #361 | ||||
| 1900 | #397 | ||||
| 1901 | #378 | ||||
| 1902 | #357 | ||||
| 1903 | #389 | ||||
| 1904 | #330 | ||||
| 1905 | #351 | ||||
| 1906 | #339 | ||||
| 1907 | #329 | ||||
| 1908 | #294 | ||||
| 1909 | #302 | ||||
| 1910 | #285 | ||||
| 1911 | #291 | ||||
| 1912 | #247 | ||||
| 1913 | #254 | ||||
| 1914 | #251 | ||||
| 1915 | #243 | ||||
| 1916 | #215 | ||||
| 1917 | #215 | ||||
| 1918 | #196 | ||||
| 1919 | #200 | ||||
| 1920 | #182 | ||||
| 1921 | #166 | ||||
| 1922 | #158 | ||||
| 1923 | #139 | ||||
| 1924 | #132 | ||||
| 1925 | #119 | ||||
| 1926 | #113 | ||||
| 1927 | #106 | ||||
| 1928 | #77 | ||||
| 1929 | #63 | #173 | |||
| 1930 | #54 | #150 | |||
| 1931 | #46 | #107 | |||
| 1932 | #32 | #191 | |||
| 1933 | #20 | #110 | |||
| 1934 | #14 | #112 | |||
| 1935 | #11 | #127 | |||
| 1936 | #10 | #85 | |||
| 1937 | #6 | #88 | |||
| 1938 | #6 | #56 | |||
| 1939 | #6 | #42 | |||
| 1940 | #6 | #37 | |||
| 1941 | #4 | #33 | |||
| 1942 | #5 | #24 | |||
| 1943 | #5 | #25 | |||
| 1944 | #5 | #16 | |||
| 1945 | #5 | #9 | |||
| 1946 | #5 | #9 | |||
| 1947 | #6 | #13 | |||
| 1948 | #8 | #16 | |||
| 1949 | #8 | #17 | |||
| 1950 | #9 | #14 | |||
| 1951 | #11 | #16 | |||
| 1952 | #12 | #19 | |||
| 1953 | #16 | #20 | |||
| 1954 | #15 | #22 | |||
| 1955 | #15 | #20 | |||
| 1956 | #16 | #20 | |||
| 1957 | #18 | #19 | |||
| 1958 | #20 | #21 | |||
| 1959 | #22 | #27 | |||
| 1960 | #23 | #21 | |||
| 1961 | #24 | #21 | |||
| 1962 | #28 | #26 | |||
| 1963 | #33 | #37 | |||
| 1964 | #36 | #42 | #36 | ||
| 1965 | #42 | #37 | #37 | ||
| 1966 | #48 | #46 | #38 | ||
| 1967 | #47 | #49 | #41 | ||
| 1968 | #49 | #55 | #34 | ||
| 1969 | #56 | #81 | #35 | ||
| 1970 | #71 | #71 | #37 | ||
| 1971 | #92 | #96 | #35 | ||
| 1972 | #109 | #129 | #41 | ||
| 1973 | #121 | #110 | #54 | ||
| 1974 | #139 | #137 | #49 | ||
| 1975 | #150 | #146 | #47 | ||
| 1976 | #171 | #175 | #50 | ||
| 1977 | #198 | #139 | #49 | ||
| 1978 | #204 | #150 | #45 | ||
| 1979 | #225 | #245 | #38 | ||
| 1980 | #232 | #215 | #45 | ||
| 1981 | #238 | #252 | #52 | ||
| 1982 | #263 | #322 | #48 | ||
| 1983 | #251 | #334 | #52 | ||
| 1984 | #268 | #364 | #43 | ||
| 1985 | #292 | #233 | #59 | ||
| 1986 | #310 | #71 | |||
| 1987 | #318 | #72 | |||
| 1988 | #334 | #386 | #76 | ||
| 1989 | #338 | #87 | |||
| 1990 | #349 | #95 | |||
| 1991 | #384 | #394 | #124 | #461 | |
| 1992 | #413 | #107 | #635 | ||
| 1993 | #494 | #110 | #529 | ||
| 1994 | #495 | #139 | #699 | ||
| 1995 | #525 | #147 | #643 | ||
| 1996 | #565 | #157 | #661 | ||
| 1997 | #607 | #751 | #126 | #836 | |
| 1998 | #658 | #232 | |||
| 1999 | #740 | #259 | #766 | ||
| 2000 | #719 | #332 | #864 | ||
| 2001 | #831 | #373 | |||
| 2002 | #845 | #649 | #843 | ||
| 2003 | #871 | #337 | |||
| 2004 | #851 | #595 | #952 | ||
| 2005 | #758 | #533 | #871 | ||
| 2006 | #972 | #654 | #833 | ||
| 2007 | #511 | ||||
| 2010 | #673 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Carol
Names Similar to Carol
Nicknames for Carol
- Cari
- Care
- Caro
- Caz
- Carrie
Famous People Named Carol
| Carol Burnett | American actress and comedian |
| Carol Channing | American actress and singer |
| Carol Ann Duffy | British poet and playwright |
| Carol Cleveland | British actress and comedian |
| Carol Heiss | American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist |
| Carol Kane | American actress and comedian |
| Carol Lawrence | American actress and singer |
| Carol Lynley | American actress and model |
| Carol Moseley Braun | American politician and lawyer |
| Carol Shields | Canadian author and playwright |
| Carol Gracias | Indian model and winner of India's Next Top Model |
| Carol Greider | American molecular biologist and Nobel laureate |
| Carol Drinkwater | British actress and author |
| Carol Vorderman | British media personality and television presenter |
| Carol Dempster | American silent film actress |
| Carol Huynh | Canadian wrestler and Olympic gold medalist |
| Carol Reed | British film director known for "The Third Man" |
| Carol Speed | American actress and model |
| Carol W. Greider | American biologist and Nobel laureate |
| Carol Smillie | Scottish television presenter and actress |
Characters Named Carol
| Carol Danvers | Comic book character and alter ego of Captain Marvel |
| Carol Ferris | DC Comics character and love interest of Green Lantern |
| Carol Brady | Matriarch on the TV series "The Brady Bunch" |
| Carol Marcus | "Star Trek" film series character and scientist |
| Carol Pilbasian | "The Last Man on Earth" TV series |
| Carol Miller | Character in the film "American Beauty" |
| Carol Newman-Calvin | Character from the TV series "The Umbrella Academy" |
| Carol Vessey | Character from the TV series "Ed" |
| Carol Mertz | Character in the film "What About Bob?" |
| Carol Kenney | "Carol's Second Act" TV series |
| Carol Kester Bondurant | Character from the TV series "The Bob Newhart Show" |
| Carol Willick | Character from the TV series "Friends" |
| Carol Peletier | Character from the comic book series "The Walking Dead" |
| Carol Hill | Character from the film "Step Brothers" |
| Carol Aird | "Safe" TV series |