Carly is a name of English origin that has gained popularity in recent years. It is a variant of the more traditional name Carol or Carolynn. The name is derived from the Old German word "Karl," which means "freeholder" or "strong." It was originally used as a male name, but over time it has become more commonly associated with females.
The use of the name Carly can be traced back to the 19th century, although it was not widely used until the latter half of the 20th century. It was particularly popular in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s, when many parents chose to give their daughters less traditional names as a way of breaking away from cultural norms.
Today, Carly is still a popular name for girls, although it is not as common as it once was. It has also been used as a male name in some cases, but it remains more commonly associated with females. Some famous people named Carly include the American singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen and the Australian actress Carly Schriber.
Overall, the name Carly is a modern twist on a classic name with a strong and powerful meaning behind it. Its popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, but it remains a popular choice for parents looking to give their daughter a unique and memorable name.
The name Carly has seen a significant rise and fall in popularity over the past seven decades in the United States. In the early 1950s, it was quite rare, with only six girls named Carly born each year from 1951 to 1953. However, starting in 1972, there was a notable increase in its popularity, with 74 births that year.
The name's popularity peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s, reaching an all-time high of 2,467 births in 1992. This trend continued throughout the 1990s, with over 2,000 girls named Carly born each year until 2003.
However, starting in 2005, there was a gradual decrease in the popularity of the name Carly. By 2022, only 365 girls were named Carly, marking a significant decline from its peak nearly three decades earlier.
Despite this recent decline, over the past 71 years (from 1951 to 2022), there have been a total of 65,899 girls named Carly born in the United States. This shows that while the name's popularity has varied over time, it remains a well-established and recognized name among American parents.
It's interesting to note that the name Carly is unique in that it can be used for both girls and boys. However, based on these statistics, it appears that it is overwhelmingly more popular as a girl's name in the United States.