Given name
Carys
“one who loves and is loved”
Carys is used as a given name. One Welsh interpretation is “one who loves and is loved.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Welsh interpretation is “one who loves and is loved.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Welsh.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1991. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Carys through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,327
- 0 boys · 2,327 girls
- Most popular year
- 2006
- 196 babies
- 2025
- 32
- #4,375 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −41%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 32 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,375 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 41.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 196 in 2006. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,133 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Carys’s family of names
Carys has a related form in Caris. In English usage, Carys has a related form in Cerys. Carys has a related form in Cerys.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Carisvariant
- Cerysvariant · English
- Carissevariant
- Carissvariant
- Caryssvariant
- Cerissevariant
- Cerissvariant
- Cerisvariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Carys
- Tanni Grey-ThompsonWelsh wheelchair racer and parliamentarian (born 1969)
- Carys LloydBritish cyclistborn 2006
- Carys HawkinsWelsh footballerborn 1988
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Carys, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Teagan
“one who is attractive; goodlooking” · “a handsome man”
9% boys · 91% girls
Keira
“little dark-haired one” · “having dark features; the little dark one”
>99% girls
Anwen
“a famed beauty”
>99% girls
Nerys
“a daughter born into nobility”
>99% girls
Aderyn
“birdlike child”
>99% girls
Mackenzie
Mackenzie is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “daughter of a wise leader; a fiery woman; one who is fair” and “the son of a wise leader; a fiery man; one who is fair”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
3% boys · 97% girls
Cassidy
“curly-haired girl” · “a clever man”
7% boys · 93% girls
Catriona
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls