UK girl's name
Karolina
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "free person".
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.
Karolina is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Karolina popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 98 births.
This profile covers 1,161 England and Wales registrations across 28 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 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,258 living people in the UK are called Karolina. 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
- • Karolina ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 98 girls were registered as Karolina.
- • Karolina ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #426 in 2015.
- • About 1,258 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karolina as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2574
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2009
98 births
Estimated living
1,258
2026
Meaning
What does Karolina mean?
The name Karolina is derived from the Germanic name Carolus, which is the Latin form of the name Charles, meaning "free man" or "strong man." The name has its roots in the Late Latin name Carolus, which was popular in the Carolingian dynasty of Frankish rulers who ruled much of Western Europe from the 8th to 10th centuries.
Karolina is a feminine form of the name Carolus, which became popular in various European languages, such as Italian (Carolina), Spanish (Carolina), French (Caroline), and German (Karoline). The name was introduced to Slavic languages through Latin and German influences, resulting in variations like Karolina in Polish, Czech, and Slovak.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Karolina can be found in the 12th century, with Saint Karolina Kózka, a Polish princess who lived from around 1211 to 1292. She was known for her piety and charitable works, and she is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Karolina. One of the most famous is Karolina Radziwiłłówna (1610-1668), a Polish noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's politics and culture.
Another notable Karolina is Karolina Pavlova (1807-1893), a renowned Russian ballerina and one of the first choreographers of Romantic ballet. She was influential in establishing the Russian style of ballet and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of ballet.
In the realm of literature, Karolina Světlá (1830-1899) was a Czech writer and feminist who was a prominent figure in the Czech National Revival movement. She wrote novels, short stories, and plays that addressed social issues and the role of women in society.
More recently, Karolina Kurkova (born 1984) is a Czech model and actress who has graced the covers of numerous fashion magazines and walked the runway for prestigious fashion houses.
Karolina Pliskova (born 1992) is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic who has achieved notable success on the WTA Tour, including reaching the World No. 1 ranking in 2017.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Karolina over time
The chart below shows babies named Karolina 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 Karolina, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 98 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karolina by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karolina 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 | #1767 | 91 | 5 |
| 2010s | #611 | 690 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1237 | 361 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2415 | 19 | 3 |
Geography
Where Karolina is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Karolina. 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.
Karolina ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #426 in 2015.
Across the UK
Karolina in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#502 in 2018
10 years of NRS records, 57 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#426 in 2015
10 years of NISRA records, 46 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Karolina
-
Karolina Conchet
actor
actress
2001-
-
Karolina Borchardt
social activist; aircraft pilot; painter
Polish pilot, painter and social activist
1905-1995
Related
Names similar to Karolina
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Karolina: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karolina in the UK right now?
In 2024, Karolina was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Karolina most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 98 babies registered as Karolina in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karolina?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "free person".
How many people are called Karolina in the UK?
A total of 1,161 babies have been registered as Karolina across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 57 more in Scotland and 46 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Karolina most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Karolina ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #426 in 2015. 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.