How Many People Are Named Carolyne?

An estimated 2,131 people in the United States have the first name Carolyne. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 48 years old, and Carolyne peaked in popularity in 1942 with 108 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Carolyne as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Carolyne paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

2,131

About 1 in 160,842 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

100.0% confidence

Average Age

48

years old

Peak Year

1942

108 births

Total Registered

3,578

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Carolyne

Carolyne is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 3,578 total births registered, 100.0% were female.

Male 0 (0.0%)
Female 3,578 (100.0%)

Carolyne as a female name

Ranked #13,766 in 2024

6 female births in 2024

Peak: 1942 (108 births)

Carolyne in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 2,927 people with the first name Carolyne, which placed it at #5,729 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Carolyne was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 2,927 people with this name in that snapshot, 0.0% were male and 100.0% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.

Census Count

2,927

people with this name

Census Rank

#5,729

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.97

per 100,000 people

Male 0 (0.0%)
Female 2,927 (100.0%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Carolyne was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (64.08%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (16.58%) and Hispanic (11.79%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Carolyne in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
64.08%
Black
16.58%
Hispanic
11.79%
Asian/Pacific Islander
3.59%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.85%
Two or More Races
3.11%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Carolyne.

Group Share Count
White 64.08% 1,875
Black 16.58% 485
Hispanic 11.79% 345
Asian and Pacific Islander 3.59% 105
Two or More Races 3.11% 91
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85% 25

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Carolyne: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Carolyne span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1940s, when 813 babies were registered. Carolyne has declined significantly from its peak in the 1940s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

0 22 43 65 86 108 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Carolyne by Decade

How has Carolyne tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1880s 5 0 5
1890s 15 0 15
1900s 33 0 33
1910s 174 0 174
1920s 260 0 260
1930s 378 0 378
1940s 813 0 813
1950s 400 0 400
1960s 242 0 242
1970s 164 0 164
1980s 211 0 211
1990s 279 0 279
2000s 323 0 323
2010s 230 0 230
2020s 51 0 51

Carolyne by State

Birth registrations for Carolyne span all 17 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi. On average, about 34 Carolynes were registered per state.

Carolyne + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Carolyne as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Carolyne: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Carolyne?

We estimate approximately 2,131 people named Carolyne are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 160,842 Americans share this first name.

Is Carolyne a common name?

Carolyne is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 93.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,578 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Carolyne most popular?

Carolyne reached peak popularity in 1942, when 108 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Carolyne is approximately 48 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Carolyne in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 2,927 people with the first name Carolyne. That placed it at #5,729 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.97 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Carolyne was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Carolyne?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Carolyne was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 0.0% male and 100.0% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Carolyne?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Carolyne was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (64.08%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (16.58%) and Hispanic (11.79%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Carolyne a female name?

Carolyne is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Carolyne have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Carolyne peaked in 1942, and the average living bearer is about 48 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Carolyne Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Carolyne Smith, Carolyne Johnson, Carolyne Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination