Carly
A girls’ name of Old English origin, meaning a free person; a form of Carla or Carl.
How Carly has moved
View as table
| Year | US rank |
|---|---|
| 2015 | #389 |
| 2016 | #413 |
| 2017 | #455 |
| 2018 | #481 |
| 2019 | #567 |
| 2020 | #619 |
| 2021 | #663 |
| 2022 | #776 |
| 2023 | #784 |
| 2024 | #873 |
Carly by the numbers
In 2025, 7 babies in England and Wales were named Carly. In the US, 687 were, though that figure is from 2017, the most recent full year we hold.
For the size of the two countries, it is given far more often in the US than in England and Wales.
Its American peak was 2,583 babies in 1995, making it a 1990s name.
Other names that come from Carl
Like Carly, each of these traces back to Carl: a form of it, a name built from it, or a son or daughter of it. Not always the same sex.
Other names that come from Carla
Like Carly, each of these traces back to Carla: a form of it, a name built from it, or a son or daughter of it. Not always the same sex.
- Karlafree woman; a form of Carla552 in the US (2017)
- Carleefree woman; a form of Carla or Carly259 in the US (2017)
- Carleighman; a modern spelling of Carley or Carla177 in the US (2017)
- Karleyfree man; a modern respelling of Carla or Carly124 in the US (2017)
- Karelyfree man; a modern respelling of Carla or Carly77 in the US (2017)
- Karleenfree person; a form of Caroline or Carla10 in the US (2017)
Names that come from Carly
Forms of Carly in other languages, names built from it, and names that mean a son or daughter of it. Not always the same sex.
Spelled almost the same
Other names in the records within a letter or two of Carly. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.
- Carlafree woman or feminine of Karl274 in the US (2017)
- Carleyfree man; a form of Carl or Charles146 in the US (2017)
- Carlifree man; a spelling variant of Carla or Carlo122 in the US (2017)
- Charlyfree man; a form of Charles87 in the US (2017)
- Callybeautiful or lovely; diminutive of Calista7 in England and Wales (2025)
- Carlyea spelling variant of Carla or Carly; free woman6 in the US (2017)
Sounds like Carly
Names that are said the same way as Carly, however they are written. Sounding alike does not mean they share a history.
- Karliefree man; a form of Carla or Karl276 in the US (2017)
- Carliefree man; a form of Carl or Charlie217 in the US (2017)
- Karlyfree man; a modern respelling of Carla or Carly149 in the US (2017)
- Karlifree man; a form of Carla or Karl135 in the US (2017)
- Kharlie17 in the US (2017)
- Kharli7 in the US (2017)
Other names that mean freedom
Like Carly, each of these has freedom in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
- Charlottefree woman; feminine form of Charles12,900 in the US (2017)
- Carolinefree woman; feminine form of Charles4,270 in the US (2017)
- Charliefree man1,679 in England and Wales (2025)
- Lottiefree woman; from Charlotte1,222 in England and Wales (2025)
- Charleefree man; a feminine spelling of charles1,176 in the US (2017)
- Frankiefree man; a form of Frank887 in England and Wales (2025)
Names about as common as Carly
Nobody has voted for Carly yet
Vote for Carly and put it up against all the other baby names
Vote for Carly