Declining since 1997, #2,719 for girls today.
Popularity of Carley since 1921
Babies named Carley per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 129 |
| 1930s | 112 |
| 1940s | 78 |
| 1950s | 60 |
| 1960s | 38 |
| 1970s | 443 |
| 1980s | 1,776 |
| 1990s | 5,912 |
| 2000s | 5,585 |
| 2010s | 2,290 |
| 2020s | 495 |
Meaning & origin
Carley first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1921, but its peak came in 1998, when the name reached its highest rank in the Social Security data. Since then, its trajectory has been falling, declining steadily from the late 1990s onward. As of 2025, it ranks 2,719, with roughly 1 in every 25,512 baby girls receiving the name. The name has been most popular in Missouri, Ohio, and Texas, reflecting a pattern of use across the Midwest and South. Carley fits a cluster of phonetic variants like Carly, Karley, and Carlee, which saw a surge in the 1990s as parents favored soft, -ee ending names for girls.
Carley is a modern English spelling variant of Carly, itself a feminine form of Carl, derived from the Germanic word 'karl' meaning 'free man'. The name gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in the United States, as a respelling of the more traditional Carly. It shares roots with Charles and Caroline, and has been used alongside other -ley and -lee ending names.
Where Carley 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.
“Carley” around the world
Where Carley lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
Ireland
3
babies in 2025
Sources: CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Car, Carly, Lee
Sibling names for Carley
Names that share Carley's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Carley
Names whose popularity has moved with Carley's over the last 50 years.
