Declining since 2009, #1,896 for girls today.
Popularity of Karlee since 1956
Babies named Karlee per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 14 |
| 1970s | 186 |
| 1980s | 733 |
| 1990s | 3,427 |
| 2000s | 4,391 |
| 2010s | 3,847 |
| 2020s | 1,044 |
Meaning & origin
Karlee is a modern American name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1956, reflecting a mid-20th-century trend of creative respellings. It reached its peak popularity in 2008, ranking among the top 1000 names at that time, but has been declining since 2009, falling to rank 1896th in 2025. Today, approximately 1 in 15,605 newborn girls is named Karlee. The name is most popular in southern states such as Mississippi, Kentucky, and Alabama. While its etymology traces back to the Germanic element for 'free man' through Charles, Karlee itself is a modern invention with no historical usage before the 1950s.
Karlee is a modern American coinage, blending the popular -lee suffix with the root Kar- from names like Karl or Carla. It emerged in the mid-20th century as part of a trend of creative respellings of names such as Carly or Karlie. While ultimately related to the Germanic element *karlaz* meaning 'free man', Karlee itself is a contemporary invention without historical usage before 1956.
Where Karlee 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.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kar, Lee, Kari
Sibling names for Karlee
Names that share Karlee's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Karlee
Names whose popularity has moved with Karlee's over the last 50 years.
