Carolyn vs Charlotte
How Carolyn and Charlotte compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Carolyn (girls) vs Charlotte (girls), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Carolyn | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 1947 — 20,741 girls | 2025 — 13,400 girls |
| Peak rank | #15 | #2 |
| Most recent rank (2020) | #947 (270 births) | #2 (13,400 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 474,645 | 371,325 |
| Last 10 years (2011–2020) | 3,373 | 130,337 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Carolyn reached 20,741 US births in 1947 — 7,341 more than Charlotte's peak count.
Crossover Years
Years where one name first passed the other in annual US births. A name "winning" in a year means it had more births that year, not necessarily a higher rank.
| Year | New leader | Carolyn births | Charlotte births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Carolyn | 3,725 | 3,406 |
| 2000 | Charlotte | 1,031 | 1,105 |
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name list.
Carolyn — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | #479 | 18 |
| 2 | Iowa | #565 | 16 |
| 3 | Kentucky | #582 | 36 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | #646 | 61 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | #655 | 153 |
Charlotte — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | #1 | 769 |
| 2 | Maine | #1 | 692 |
| 3 | Minnesota | #2 | 2,462 |
| 4 | Michigan | #2 | 4,018 |
| 5 | Virginia | #2 | 3,967 |
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Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →