Given name & surname · also French
Caroline
“a joyous song; a small, strong woman”
In German use, Caroline is a variant of Karoline. In English use, Karoline carries the interpretation “a joyous song; a small, strong woman.”
Original LatinCarolus
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Latin use, Caroline carries the interpretation “a joyous song; a small, strong woman.” In German use, Caroline is a variant of Karoline. In English use, Karoline carries the interpretation “a joyous song; a small, strong woman.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with French and Latin naming traditions.
How it developed
Caroline is used as a feminine counterpart of Charles.
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
Caroline through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 250,719
- 309 boys · 250,410 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 5,029 babies
- 2025
- 2,646
- #96 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,646 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 96 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,022 in 2000. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (296). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 199,035 as a first name in 2020; 401 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.
Caroline’s family of names
In French usage, Caroline is a diminutive of Charles. In Portuguese usage, Caroline shares an earlier linguistic root with Carla. In English usage, Caroline has a related form in Carolyn.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Caroline has relatives in 27 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
Latinwhere Caroline comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 39
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Charlesfull form · French
- Carolefull form · French, German
- Nenadiminutive · French
- Carodiminutive · French, English
- Calliediminutive · English
- Carolinavariant · Portuguese, Spanish
- Caldiminutive · English
- Linadiminutive · German
Show 31 moreShow fewer
- Karolinavariant · German, Polish
- Carolynvariant · English
- Karolinevariant · German, Norwegian
- Carolshort form · English, German
- Carriediminutive · English
- Carolynnvariant
- Carydiminutive · English
- Carolynevariant
- Carolenavariant
- Carolannvariant
- Carolynnevariant · English
- Carlinevariant · English
- Karolinvariant · Swedish, German
- Carolinvariant · Swedish, German
- Carilynvariant
- Carrieannvariant
- Careevariant
- Carreevariant
- Carreyvariant
- Carryvariant
- Carrivariant
- Carolenevariant
- Carolannevariant
- Carolanvariant
- Carollinelikely variant
- Carolinnelikely variant
- Carrolinelikely variant
- Karoliinevariant · Estonian
- Caddydiminutive · English
- Carilynnevariant
- Carolianavariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 33
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Carolusroot · Latin
- Coralineequivalent
- Carladoublet · Portuguese
- Karolynequivalent
- Caralineequivalent
- Caroleenaequivalent
- Rolinerelated form
- Caroletteequivalent
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- Каралінаequivalent
- Karólínaequivalent
- КэролайнRussian
- КаролинаRussian
- Kalalainaborrowing · Hawaiian
- ΚαρολίναGreek
- Kalolainaborrowing · Hawaiian
- Kealalainaborrowing · Hawaiian
- Karoliinaderivative · Finnish, Estonian
- KarolínaCzech, Slovak
- Carlijnequivalent
- Corolineequivalent
- Karlijnequivalent
- Carolienequivalent
- Carolinyequivalent
- Karolīnaequivalent
- KararainaMāori
- KaluliitGreenlandic
- Cargopah
- KarolienDutch
- カロリーヌJapanese
- Cararagallo
- Calorinngallo
- Carboaal
- Italianbase name
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Caroline
- Caroline WozniackiDanish tennis playerborn 1990
- Caroline HerschelGerman-British astronomer (1750-1848)
- Caroline KennedyAmerican author and diplomat (born 1957)
- Caroline of AnsbachQueen consort of Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 to 17371683–1737
- Princess Caroline of Monacoeldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kellyborn 1957
- Caroline BonaparteQueen of Naples and Sicily (1782-1839)
- Caroline of BrunswickQueen consort of the United Kingdom and Hanover from 1820 to 18211768–1821
- Caroline GarciaFrench tennis playerborn 1993
- Caroline Matilda of Great BritainQueen consort of Denmark and Norway, 1766–1772 (1751–1775)
Characters named Caroline: Caroline Reynolds (Prison Break), Carrie Mathison (fictional character on the American television/drama thriller Homeland), Caroline Forbes (fictional human).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Caroline, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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