Given name & surname · also Germanic
Carlee
“a free woman”
Carlee is a variant of Carla. In Latin use, Carla carries the interpretation “a free woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Carlee is a variant of Carla. In Latin use, Carla carries the interpretation “a free woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Carlee comes from Germanic, and ultimately from Germanic languages.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1902. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Carlee through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,290
- 308 boys · 12,982 girls
- Most popular year
- 2009
- 464 babies
- 2025
- 101
- #1,911 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −44%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 101 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,911 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 44.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 464 in 2009. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,909 as a first name in 2020; 302 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Carlee’s family of names
Carlee has a related form in Carla. In English usage, Carlee has a related form in Carly.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Carlee
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Carlee, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Karley
“a small, strong woman”
>99% girls
Karleigh
“a small, strong woman”
>99% girls
Kinley
Kinley is a feminine given name from Scottish Gaelic.
1% boys · 99% girls
Kali
“the dark one; in Hinduism, a destructive force” · “one who provides comfort”
3% boys · 97% girls
Joslyn
“from the tribe of Gauts” · “one who is cheerful, happy”
>99% girls
Kensley
Kensley is a feminine given name from Old English.
3% boys · 97% girls
Anya
“a woman graced with God's favor”
>99% girls
Jocelynn
“from the tribe of Gauts” · “one who is cheerful, happy”
>99% girls