Carolyn

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Carolyn

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Carolyn is a modern variation on Caroline, the French form of Carolina, the feminine form of Carolinus, from Carolus, the Latin form of Charles. It comes from the word “ceorl,” which means “free man.”

History:
Carolyn is a modern variation of Caroline. It did not appear before the 19th century. In the late 19th century changing “lines” and “linas” to “lyns” was a fashionable thing to do. Evelina became Evelyn, Gwendoline became Gwendolyn, Rosaline became Rosalyn, and Madeline became Madelyn.

Other “line” names like, Evangeline, Emmeline, and Adaline declined or disappeared (19th century favorites like Angeline and Pauline were pronounced in the French fashion, as “leen” and don’t count).

Through the early 20th century the name Carolyn rose, reaching its peak in the 1940s and remaining popular until the early 1990s.

See Charla for additional information.

Pronunciation: care-oh-lynn.

Diminutives: Caro, Lynn.

Alternates: Carolyne, Carolynn, Carolynna, Carolynne, Karolyn, Karolyne, Karolynn, Karolynne.

Masculine: Charles.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Carolyn Wells (1862-1942)
American author.
Carolyn Keene
Pseudonym of the many people who write Nancy Drew mysteries.
Carolyn Kizer (1925-)
American poet.
Carolyn Carlson (1943-)
American choreographer.
Carolyn Forché (1950-)
American poet.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Carolyn Heilbrun (1926-)
American literary critic.

Miscellaneous:
Carolyn Bessete Kennedy (1966-1999)
Wife of John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Scientists:
Carolyn Cohen (1929-)
American biophysicist.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.385 % named Carolyn
0.003 % named Carolynn
0.002 % named Carolyne

Popularity of Carolyn:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880: 163rd most popular.
1881: 195th most popular.
1882: 218th most popular.
1883: 234th most popular.
1884: 218th most popular.
1885: 209th most popular.
1886: 219th most popular.
1887: 208th most popular.
1888: 203rd most popular.
1889: 199th most popular.
1890: 217th most popular.
1891: 230th most popular.
1892: 239th most popular.
1893: 211th most popular.
1894: 219th most popular.
1895: 227th most popular.
1896: 227th most popular.
1897: 227th most popular.
1898: 225th most popular.
1899: 231st most popular.
1900: 230th most popular.
1901: 236th most popular.
1902: 224th most popular.
1903: 240th most popular.
1904: 226th most popular.
1905: 212th most popular.
1906: 235th most popular.
1907: 254th most popular.
1908: 200th most popular.
1909: 193rd most popular.
1910: 199th most popular.
1911: 186th most popular.
1912: 188th most popular.
1913: 170th most popular.
1914: 168th most popular.
1915: 167th most popular.
1916: 163rd most popular.
1917: 164th most popular.
1918: 166th most popular.
1919: 166th most popular.
1920: 150th most popular.
1921: 145th most popular.
1922: 144th most popular.
1923: 132nd most popular.
1924: 127th most popular.
1925: 127th most popular.
1926: 114th most popular.
1927: 99th most popular.
1928: 91st most popular.
1929: 77th most popular.
1930: 72nd most popular.
1931: 60th most popular.
1932: 46th most popular.
1933: 40th most popular.
1934: 33rd most popular.
1935: 28th most popular.
1936: 23rd most popular.
1937: 20th most popular.
1938: 15th most popular.
1939: 14th most popular.
1940: 15th most popular.
1941: 11th most popular.
1942: 10th most popular. - Peak!
1943: 11th most popular.
1944: 11th most popular.
1945: 12th most popular.
1946: 12th most popular.
1947: 15th most popular.
1948: 14th most popular.
1949: 17th most popular.
1950: 20th most popular.
1951: 22nd most popular.
1952: 24th most popular.
1953: 25th most popular.
1954: 27th most popular.
1955: 30th most popular.
1956: 33rd most popular.
1957: 33rd most popular.
1958: 37th most popular.
1959: 42nd most popular.
1960: 43rd most popular.
1961: 42nd most popular.
1962: 46th most popular.
1963: 55th most popular.
1964: 56th most popular.
1965: 58th most popular.
1966: 60th most popular.
1967: 60th most popular.
1968: 61st most popular.
1969: 71st most popular.
1970: 84th most popular.
1971: 104th most popular.
1972: 110th most popular.
1973: 116th most popular.
1974: 118th most popular.
1975: 119th most popular.
1976: 129th most popular.
1977: 129th most popular.
1978: 130th most popular.
1979: 138th most popular.
1980: 147th most popular.
1981: 144th most popular.
1982: 145th most popular.
1983: 150th most popular.
1984: 155th most popular.
1985: 155th most popular.
1986: 162nd most popular.
1987: 148th most popular.
1988: 159th most popular.
1989: 159th most popular.
1990: 173rd most popular.
1991: 195th most popular.
1992: 197th most popular.
1993: 204th most popular.
1994: 233rd most popular.
1995: 242nd most popular.
1996: 233rd most popular.
1997: 278th most popular.
1998: 316th most popular.
1999: 298th most popular.
2000: 309th most popular.
2001: 348th most popular.
2002: 370th most popular.
2003: 431st most popular.
2004: 420th most popular.

Popularity of Carolynn:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-1934: N/A
1935: 936th most popular.
1936: 33rd most popular.
1937: 849th most popular.
1938: 845th most popular.
1939: 817th most popular.
1940: 671st most popular.
1941: 640th most popular.
1942: 566th most popular.
1943: 591st most popular.
1944: 569th most popular.
1945: 600th most popular.
1946: 621st most popular.
1947: 645th most popular.
1948: 699th most popular.
1949: 761st most popular.
1950: 847th most popular.
1951: 881st most popular.
1952: 824th most popular.
1953: N/A
1954: 922nd most popular.
1955-2004: N/A

Selected Sources:
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880