Carly

Updated: August 23, 2021 by MomsWhoThink Staff

Carly is an upbeat and likeable baby name. The name Carly first rose to prominence with the popularity of singer Carly Simon and continued its winning streak as the titular character on television's iCarly series. Carly is the main character in the film StreetDance 3D, and Carly Witwicky is a central character in Transformers. Keep reading to learn more about this baby name.

Meaning of the name Carly:

German: Free man, army, warrior

Origin of the name Carly:

Carly is a feminine form of the name Carl. This name derives from either the Germanic name Karl (meaning “free man”) or the German element hari (meaning “army” or “warrior”).

Symbolism of the name Carly:

Carly derives from the Germanic word Karl (meaning “free man”). The symbol for freedom and liberty is the torch.

Style of the name Carly:

Modern

Gender of the name Carly:

Carly is a girl's name.

Pronunciation of the name Carly:

KAHR-lee

Number of syllables in the name Carly:

Two

Emotion evoked from the name Carly:

The name Carly evokes feelings of love and liberty.

Alternative spellings for the name Carly:

Carley
Carlie
Carli
Carlee
Carleigh
Karly

Nicknames for the name Carly:

Popularity of the name Carly:

According to the Social Security Administration index, Carly was the 617th most popular baby girl name in 2020. Carly ranked among the top 200 baby names for girls from the 1980s through early 2000s.