Carlton
Meaningfree men's settlement · English
- US rank
- #2,884
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #217 in 1937
43 babies were named Carlton in the US in 2025. It has dropped 649 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Carlton you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Carlton
Carlton Cole
English footballer (born 1983)
Choose Carlton and your child shares a first name with Carlton Cole, an English footballer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Carlton, like who?” Carlton Cole's Wikipedia article is available in 35 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Carlton Cole on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: East Ham Bull, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 39,683 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Carlton, 43 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Carlton would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCarlton has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Carltons, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1937, when it ranked #217. Today it's #2,884, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowCarlton was 4.5× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 8,726 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 39,683.
- TrendCarlton has slipped 649 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,884. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningIn English, Carlton means “free men's settlement”.
About the name Carlton
Carlton is a boy name of English origin meaning “free men's settlement”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-ton”. US birth records list Carlton for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked #217 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,884, with 43 babies.
Origin:English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 173 | 5,777 boys |
| 1890s | 227 | 4,404 boys |
| 1900s | 333 | 3,003 boys |
| 1910s | 433 | 2,311 boys |
| 1920s | 428 | 2,337 boys |
| 1930s | 476 | 2,103 boys |
| 1940s | 365 | 2,742 boys |
| 1950s | 390 | 2,566 boys |
| 1960s | 361 | 2,770 boys |
| 1970s | 292 | 3,424 boys |
| 1980s | 216 | 4,622 boys |
| 1990s | 180 | 5,540 boys |
| 2000s | 81 | 12,361 boys |
| 2010s | 47 | 21,308 boys |
| 2020s | 28 | 35,736 boys |
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Carlton
What does the name Carlton mean?
Carlton means “free men's settlement” in English.
What is the origin of the name Carlton?
Carlton has English roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Carlton a boy or girl name?
Carlton is a boy name.
How popular is the name Carlton?
Carlton ranked #2,884 for US boys in 2025, given to 43 babies. Its best year was 1937 (#217).