BabyNameLens · Girl names · Boy names

Carol

“Variant of Caroline — Free man” — Germanic, via French origin

Girl's name · #2239 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Carol has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #4 (1941) · 816,928 babies named Carol all-time · 1 in 20,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 17,000 girls in Switzerland (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 5 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Carols

• Carol Greider — American molecular biologist
• Carol Burnett — American actress, comedian and singer (born 1933)
• Carol Channing — American actress (1921–2019)
• Carol Kane — American actress (born 1952)
• Carol Ann Duffy — Scottish poet and playwright (born 1955)

In stories & tradition

• Carol Danvers — The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes · Marvel's Avengers Assemble
• Carol Peletier — The Walking Dead
• Carol Hathaway — ER

What Carols become

Among 1,709 notable people named Carol:

Artists & writers appear 1.32× more often than among typical names — e.g. Carol Ann Duffy, Scottish poet and playwright (born 1955).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

Privacy Policy · Terms of Service