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Help[Opinions] Thoughts on Carolyn?
Heard it today and like it. What do you think of it?
This message was edited 4/28/2025, 4:04 PM
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It's pretty! I like it. Caroline would be a more traditional variation.
I prefer Caroline over Carolyn. Caroline has charted more steadily, although they were neck to neck in 1919 and 1986. (The comparison feature on this site is great!) Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother was named Caroline, and it has always bothered me that her husband, actor Michael Landon, pronounces her name Carolyn on the show.
I want to like it but I don’t. Caroline is lovely though.
I wish I could appreciate Carolyn more, it has great retro yuppie energy. I'd put it in the "studiously cheery midcentury names" category with Leslie, Dana, Laurie, Audrey, Natalie, etc. But I grew up with a surprising number of Carolyns (and variants, like Cara-Lynn, Carlyn, Karalyn, etc) in the 90s, so it's still "current" for me, and therefore a bit boring.
Very specific to the mid 20th century as opposed to Caroline which is more timeless
What I was thinking though is -lyn names are trending for girls, like Oaklynn and Emberlyn.
I don't think it's necessary. I named my daughter Caroline, and could have used Carolyn to honour a dear friend, but I just didn't like it enough. Carol- names seem to attract frilly variants: Carole instead of Carol, for instance, then Carolyn instead of Caroline and, the worst I've seen so far, the author of a book is named Carolly!
It's got a generic 2nd wave feminism vibe to me. It seems like a mom/grandmom name. I also had a great-aunt Carol who always asked me if I had a job yet, when I was still 12-14; it reminds me of her.
This message was edited 4/28/2025, 11:06 PM
Carolyn is kind of boring .
I've always found Carolyn to be warm and cheery. It's easily my favorite -lyn name.
It's one of those dated names that I actually rather like.
I like it much more than Caroline pronounced Carolyn.
I find it bright and lovely and competent. Not sure I'd shortlist it for my own usage though
I like it much more than Caroline pronounced Carolyn.
I find it bright and lovely and competent. Not sure I'd shortlist it for my own usage though
It’s okay but not my style. It’s better than Caroline, which I’ve never seen the appeal of.
I feel the same on all accounts. It's a pretty sounding name, spelling changes how much I like it though lol
Although I think I'd pronounce Caroline and Carolyn differently... line vs linn
Although I think I'd pronounce Caroline and Carolyn differently... line vs linn
The history of use is different. Those other three are modern creations from nature related words + Lynn; Carolyn is a variant spelling that reflects a regional pronunciation. Carol and Carolyn were both very popular in the 1940s (something like 3% of American girls were named those in the 40s, which makes it very associated with that era - for a comparison, if you add Sophia, Sofia, Sophie together nowadays it's still only about 1.3%), and they have fallen off the chart relatively recently; people liked it enough to keep using it for a while but seem bored with it. Meanwhile, use of Caroline and Carolina has been going up in the US since the 60s, similar names Carrie, Carly, Carla, Cara, Katelyn rose then fell, and Madelyn took off in the 90s, along with other Mad* names. Evelyn didn't really start rising again before Ava did. Maybe Carolyn will be more popular by the time people get bored with Madelyn, or maybe people will prefer Rosalyn or Gwendolyn.
Marilyn hasn't comeback either; I guess that's more from association with Monroe rather than overuse, although Mary was super popular back then and is not anymore.
Marilyn hasn't comeback either; I guess that's more from association with Monroe rather than overuse, although Mary was super popular back then and is not anymore.
This message was edited 4/28/2025, 10:55 PM