Carolyn vs Harper
How Carolyn and Harper 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 Harper (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 | Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 1947 — 20,741 girls | 2016 — 10,802 girls |
| Peak rank | #15 | #11 |
| Most recent rank (2020) | #947 (270 births) | #16 (6,792 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 474,645 | 137,640 |
| Last 10 years (2011–2020) | 3,373 | 89,927 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Carolyn reached 20,741 US births in 1947 — 9,939 more than Harper'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 | Harper births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Harper | 587 | 597 |
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 |
Harper — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | #3 | 725 |
| 2 | Montana | #4 | 392 |
| 3 | South Dakota | #4 | 409 |
| 4 | Wyoming | #4 | 190 |
| 5 | Maine | #5 | 478 |
Want a different comparison?
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 →