UK girl's name
Carys
A Welsh feminine name derived from "cariad" meaning love or affection.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Carys is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Carys popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #855, with 43 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 389 births.
This profile covers 5,090 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 11% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 5,720 living people in the UK are called Carys. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Carys ranked #855 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 43 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 389 girls were registered as Carys.
- • Carys ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #333 in 2020.
- • About 5,720 living people in the UK are estimated to have Carys as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#855
2024
Births in 2024
43
Latest year
Peak year
2004
389 births
Estimated living
5,720
2026
Meaning
What does Carys mean?
The given name Carys is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh word "caru" which means "to love." It is believed to have been in use as a personal name since the 16th century, primarily in Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom.
The earliest recorded example of the name Carys dates back to the late 16th century, when it was used as a feminine form of the Welsh name "Carwyn." Some historians believe that the name may have been influenced by the ancient Welsh name "Caris," which was a variation of the name "Caris" found in Roman Britain.
While the name Carys does not appear to have been directly referenced in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is deeply rooted in Welsh culture and language. Its connection to the word "caru" (to love) has given it a endearing and affectionate connotation.
Notable historical figures with the name Carys include Carys Vaughan Jones (1913-2008), a Welsh singer and radio personality known for her performances of traditional Welsh folk songs. Another notable Carys was Carys Davies (1857-1926), a Welsh author and playwright who wrote extensively about Welsh culture and history.
In the 19th century, Carys Wynne (1835-1910) was a prominent Welsh educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a significant role in establishing educational opportunities for girls in Wales during the Victorian era.
Moving into the 20th century, Carys Peckham (1905-1983) was a British botanist and plant pathologist who made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and their control. Her research helped advance the field of agricultural science.
Another notable figure was Carys Redwood (1923-2013), a Welsh actress best known for her roles in television series and films during the 1960s and 1970s. She was celebrated for her portrayal of strong and resilient Welsh women on the screen.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Carys over time
The chart below shows babies named Carys registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Carys, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 43 births in 2024, compared with 389 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carys by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Carys was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #799 | 229 | 5 |
| 2010s | #385 | 1,303 | 10 |
| 2000s | #188 | 2,698 | 10 |
| 1990s | #202 | 860 | 4 |
Geography
Where Carys is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Carys. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Carys ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #333 in 2020.
Across the UK
Carys in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#431 in 2024
38 years of NRS records, 590 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#333 in 2020
12 years of NISRA records, 74 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Carys
-
Carys Lloyd
sport cyclist
British cyclist
2006-
-
Carys Roy
basketball player
British basketball player (born 2005)
2005-
-
Carys Jones
badminton player
badminton player
2002-
-
Carys McAulay
athletics competitor
Scottish athlete
1998-
-
Carys Cox
rugby union player
Welsh rugby union player
1998-
-
Carys Williams-Morris
rugby union player
English-Welsh rugby union player
1993-
-
Carys Phillips
rugby union player
Welsh rugby union player
1992-
-
Carys Hawkins
association football player
Welsh footballer
1989-
Related
Names similar to Carys
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Carys: questions and answers
How popular is the name Carys in the UK right now?
In 2024, Carys was ranked #855 for girls in England and Wales, with 43 births registered.
When was Carys most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 389 babies registered as Carys in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Carys?
A Welsh feminine name derived from "cariad" meaning love or affection.
How many people are called Carys in the UK?
A total of 5,090 babies have been registered as Carys across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 590 more in Scotland and 74 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Carys most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Carys ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #333 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.