Given name & surname · also Italian
Carolina
“a joyous song; a small, strong woman”
Carolina is a variant of Caroline. In Latin use, Caroline carries the interpretation “a joyous song; a small, strong woman.”
Original ItalianCarla
Meaning & origin
What it means
Carolina is a variant of Caroline. In Latin use, Caroline carries the interpretation “a joyous song; a small, strong woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Carolina comes from Italian, and ultimately from Latin.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
From Italian Carolina, from Latin Carolīna, built from English Carol + -ina.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Carolina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 48,108
- 137 boys · 47,971 girls
- Most popular year
- 2004
- 1,270 babies
- 2025
- 769
- #405 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −5%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 769 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 405 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 5.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,270 in 2004. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (196). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 69,296 as a first name in 2020; 972 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.
Carolina’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Carolina has a diminutive in Caro. In English usage, Carolina shares an earlier linguistic root with Caroline. In Spanish usage, Carolina has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Carla.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Carolina has relatives in 16 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
12 related names in 16 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 21
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Carolina
- Karol GColombian singer and songwriterborn 1991
- Carolina KlüftSwedish heptathlete and long jumperborn 1983
- Carolina KostnerItalian figure skater (born 1987)
- Carolina MarínSpanish badminton playerborn 1993
- Princess Carolina of ParmaItalian princess (1770-1804)
- Carolina CoronadoSpanish author, editor (1820–1911)
- Princess Wilhelmine Caroline of Denmarkelectress of Hesse (1747-1820)
- Princess Carolina of Orange-NassauPrincess in the house of Orange-Nassau1743–1787
- Carolina MoraceItalian footballerborn 1964
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Carolina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bella
“a woman famed for her beauty”
>99% girls
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“from the open, grassy plain”
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Kansas
Kansas is used as a given name and a surname. One Native American interpretation is “of the south wind people; from the state of Kansas.”
18% boys · 82% girls
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“from the city; city dweller”
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“noble” · “kind”
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Atlanta
>99% girls