Carlton

Carlton: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “settlement of free men”
Origin: Old English
Say it: KARL-tən · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From an English surname and place name, from Old English ceorl 'free man, peasant' and tūn 'settlement'. It began as a surname-style given name.

English names Surname-style names Classic names

How popular is Carlton?

202413.5 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Carlton in 202445

2024 rank#2,828 boys

Peak year1937

Total US babies since 188049,124

Carlton is fading: recent use is about 54% of its level ten years before.

Names like Carlton

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Wesleywestern meadow · Old English
Westonwestern settlement · Old English
Blakeblack; pale · Old English
Edwardwealthy guardian · Old English
Ashtonash tree town · Old English
Kingstonking's town · Old English
Brandonbroom-covered hill · Old English
Bentleybent-grass clearing · Old English

Carlton questions

What does the name Carlton mean?

Carlton means "settlement of free men". It comes from Old English. From an English surname and place name, from Old English ceorl 'free man, peasant' and tūn 'settlement'. It began as a surname-style given name.

Is Carlton a boy or girl name?

Carlton is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Carlton?

45 US babies were named Carlton in 2024. Its peak year was 1937.

How do you pronounce Carlton?

Carlton is usually pronounced KARL-tən.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.