How Many People Are Named Carrol?
An estimated 3,556 people in the United States have the first name Carrol. It is used for both genders, with 58.8% male. The average bearer is 75 years old, and Carrol peaked in popularity in 1943 with 352 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Carrol 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 Carrol paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Carrol has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- Carrol is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
- With an average bearer age of 75, Carrol is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1961.
Estimated Living Americans
3,556
About 1 in 96,388 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
58.8% confidence
Average Age
75
years old
Peak Year
1943
352 births
Total Registered
10,319
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Carrol
Carrol is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (58.8%) and females (41.2%). Out of 10,319 total births registered, 6,067 were male and 4,252 were female.
Carrol as a male name
Ranked #5,708 in 1989
8 male births in 1989
Peak: 1930 (191 births)
Carrol as a female name
Ranked #15,877 in 2002
5 female births in 2002
Peak: 1943 (200 births)
Carrol in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 4,984 people with the first name Carrol, which placed it at #3,920 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, Carrol was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 4,984 people with this name in that snapshot, 35.2% were male and 64.8% were female. That is more heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 58.8% male.
Census Count
4,984
people with this name
Census Rank
#3,920
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
1.65
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Carrol was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (80.37%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (12.80%) and Two or More Races (3.03%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Carrol in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Carrol.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 80.37% | 4,001 |
| Black | 12.80% | 637 |
| Two or More Races | 3.03% | 151 |
| Hispanic | 2.13% | 106 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.08% | 54 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.58% | 29 |
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.
Carrol: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Carrol span from the 1890s to the 2000s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1940s, when 2,760 babies were registered. Carrol has declined significantly from its peak in the 1940s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Carrol by Decade
How has Carrol 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.
Carrol by State
Birth registrations for Carrol span all 36 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana. The lowest are in South Dakota, Montana, Maine. On average, about 144 Carrols were registered per state.
Carrol + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Carrol as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Carrol
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
Carrol: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carrol?
We estimate approximately 3,556 people named Carrol 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 96,388 Americans share this first name.
Is Carrol a common name?
Carrol is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 95.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 10,319 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Carrol most popular?
Carrol reached peak popularity in 1943, when 352 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Carrol is approximately 75 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Carrol in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 4,984 people with the first name Carrol. That placed it at #3,920 in the published Census first-name tables, or 1.65 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 Carrol 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 Carrol?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Carrol was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 35.2% male and 64.8% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Carrol?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Carrol was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (80.37%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (12.80%) and Two or More Races (3.03%). 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 Carrol a male name?
Carrol is predominantly male. 58.8% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Carrol 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. Carrol peaked in 1943, and the average living bearer is about 75 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Carrol Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Carrol Smith, Carrol Johnson, Carrol 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.
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