The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Caroline!

Comments and insights on the name Caroline: | Edit

We named our daughter Caroline; it's an old family name. She doesn't like it because she thinks it's old, but I like it because it is strong, yet elegant and feminine, but not cutesy. It's not overly common, either. We've been told it is a 'southern' name - the map seems to reflect that.

My name is Caroline Grace! mine was a family name my grandmother was named Carolyn! i was named after the song Sweet Caroline my dad and mom fell in love with the song when they were expecting me. to this day, whenever i hear the song i feel it's my song! the song i was named after! my parents got my middle name Grace from the song Amazing Grace (both my parents are very musical) my mom loved the name Grace and loved that song and thought the old fashioned name of Caroline Grace sounded beautiful!

My parents named me Caroline because it was either that or Victoria and my dad didn't want to call me Vikki. I would have rather been Victoria. I don't like my name- its old fashioned... definitely not the popular-girl type. Subs will sometimes mispronounce my name as Carolyn. As for nicknames... my dad calls me Liney. If you want a nickname you could go for Lina or Carly- there really aren't any other options because Carol's not the coolest name either.

My mother's family is Danish and her name is Caroline (pn car-o-lee-na), but she has everyone pn it caro-lyn.

My name is Caroline Yvonne, I was named after both of my great grandmothers. I can't stand constantly being called Carolyn, sometimes even after I correct people I still get called Carolyn. I have even had to introduce myself before by saying, it's Caro"line" just take the A off of Carolina (like the states of North and South Carolina) and you have my name. It's line, not lynn. I don't know why so many people all of my life have such a problem with this name, teachers, doctors offices, job interviews, you name it, I usually get called Carolyn or even Caraline before I have to correct them. During my middle school years I hated it because it's an older name that many would mispronounce but now that I'm in my 20's I love it!

Personal experiences with the name Caroline: | Edit

Caroline is a solid, classic name, but every Caroline I've ever met has been nasty (a total of 4)...I don't know. It's kind of turned me off the name.

Being a Caroline myself, I have noticed what the person above has said, I've met several other Caroline's and some of them have indeed been snobby and downright rude, that being said, I've also met some really nice, down to earth Caroline's. I've always loved my name and it makes me sad so many view it in a bad light. It used to bother me that one of the most common associations with my name were negative traits, but as I've grown up and had the chance to meet more people with my name, I've come to the conclusion that it's like with any other name, some people who bear it are nice and fun to be around while others aren't. I think it's just the fact that you don't hear it as much as other names so that association trends to be stronger if someone has only met a handful of people with that name, any bad connections will turn them off from the name. There are going to be good and bad people with every name,negative feelings just end up lasting longer for certain names if there aren't enough of the population to dispel them.

Frequently confused with "Carolyn"
Last syllable usu. pron. "line" but sometimes pron. "lyn"
Spanish variant: "Carolina" (pron. kar-o-LEE-na)

my grandmother's name is caroline, and it fits her really well. she's really funny, and wild and crazy.

Nicknames for Caroline: | Edit

C.C., Caddie, Cal, Cali, Callie, Carly, Carlie, Cara, Care-bear, Carly, Caro, Carol, Carolina-Lu, Carrie, Cary, Carey, Lin, Lina, Lina-Lu, Liney, Linny.

I know someone nicknamed Cami real name Caroline.

Meanings and history of the name Caroline: | Edit

Latin, means "Beautiful woman"

Famous real-life people named Caroline: | Edit

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, daughter of President John F. Kennedy
Caroline Healey Dall (1822-1912), American suffragist
Caroline Miskel-Hoyt (1873-1898), Canadian stage actress
Caroline Schemerhorn Astor, Head of New York Society 1880's-1900's, mother of John Jacob Astor VI.
Caroline Lee Hentz (1800-1856), American writer
Caroline Louisa Waring Atkinson Calvert (1834-1872), Australian naturalist
Caroline Julia Bartlett Crane (1858-1935), American reformer
Caroline Scott Harrison, First Lady and wife of Benjamin Harrison
Caroline Link (b. 1964), German filmmaker
Caroline Quiner Ingalls (1839-1924), mother of author Laura Ingalls Wilder
Caroline Hazard (1856-1945), American college president
Caroline White Soule (1824-1903), American religious leader
Carolina Herrera, fashion designer (Span. var of Caroline)
Queen Caroline of Ansbach, consort of George II of England
Queen Caroline of Brunswick, consort of George IV of England
Princess Caroline of Monaco, now Princess of Hanover
Caroline Myss, New Age self-help writer
Lady Caroline Lamb, British Regency era beauty, author of Glenarvon
Caroline Rhea, Canadian actress
Caroline Trentini, Vogue model
Caroline Wozniacki, Danish tennis player
Caroline Monahan, daughter of Katie Couric

Caroline in song, story & screen: | Edit

"Sweet Caroline," a song by Neil Diamond, and done in Glee
"Caroline in the City," TV show
Caroline Ingalls, a character in "Little House on the Prairie"
Caddie Woodlawn, heroine of the best-selling pioneer novel, whose full name was Caroline Augusta Woodlawn
"Caroline," a song by David Gray
"Caroline No," a song by the Beach Boys
"Caroline," a song by Concrete Blonde
Caroline Farrell, aka Echo, a character in "Dollhouse"
"Caroline" song by Brandi Carlile (featuring Elton John)