Given name & surname
Carlisle
“from the fort at Luguvalium”
Carlisle is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the fort at Luguvalium.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the fort at Luguvalium.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
From Middle English Carlele, from Middle English Carleol, from Proto-Brythonic *kaɨr (“fort”), from Proto-Celtic *Luguwalos (“strength of Lugus”), built from Proto-Celtic *Lugus + *walos (“strength”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1888. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Carlisle through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,329
- 1,862 boys · 467 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 62 babies
- 2025
- 45
- #3,256 for boys · #10,256 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 36 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,256 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 4.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 47 in 2012. It also appeared in 9 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, North Carolina had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,425 as a first name in 2020; 19,643 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.
Carlisle’s family of names
Carlisle has a related form in Carlyle. Carlisle has a related form in Carlyle. Carlisle has a related form in Carlile.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Carlisle
- Carlisle FloydAmerican composer (1926–2021)
- Carlisle TrostUnited States admiral1930–2020
- Carlisle ToweryAmerican basketball player (1920–2012)
- Carlisle BestWest Indian cricketerborn 1959
Characters named Carlisle: Carlisle Cullen (Twilight).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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