Declining since 1995, #1,570 for girls today.
Popularity of Carina since 1914
Babies named Carina per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 |
| 1920s | 0 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 11 |
| 1950s | 66 |
| 1960s | 355 |
| 1970s | 1,214 |
| 1980s | 2,617 |
| 1990s | 5,216 |
| 2000s | 3,652 |
| 2010s | 2,416 |
| 2020s | 936 |
Meaning & origin
Carina has been in steady but modest use in the United States since it first appeared in 1914. It reached its highest popularity in 1995, when it ranked at its peak, and has since fallen in use. In 2025, it ranked 1570th with an incidence of 1 in 11,995. The name is most common in Washington, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Carina offers a melodic alternative to more common names like Karina, blending Italian warmth with a touch of astronomical prestige through the constellation Carina. Its dual Latin and Romance roots give it cross-cultural appeal without feeling invented or overly trendy.
In Italian and Spanish, Carina is derived from 'cara' meaning 'dear' or 'beloved', often interpreted as 'little dear one'. It is also a feminine form of the Roman cognomen Carinus. In Latin, 'carina' literally means 'keel of a ship', and the name is also associated with the constellation Carina. Scandinavian use may reflect a variant of Karina, itself a short form of Katarina (Catherine).
Where Carina is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Carina” around the world
Where Carina lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cari, Rina, Cara
Sibling names for Carina
Names that share Carina's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Carina
Names whose popularity has moved with Carina's over the last 50 years.
