The name Carey is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "dark, black".

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A unisex name in the same vein as Casey, Cassidy, and Kelly, Carey and its alternative spelling Cary were familiar choices for boys in the first half of the 20th-century, and became popular in the 50s and 60s. By the 70s however, things had shifted: Carey was more popular for girls, reaching number #304 at its 1975 peak when it was given to nearly 760 girls.
 
Usually considered an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Ciardha, the name ultimately comes from ciar meaning "black". It is possible however that it may be used as a variant of the Welsh Carew ("fort on the hill!); a twist on the Irish mac Fiachra ("son of Fiachra, son of the crow"); a name from the Byronic root karɨd ("to love); or an anglicized for of the German Gehring ("spear"). 
Notably borne by actress Carey Mulligan, Carey, like the similar sounding Kerry and Carrie, have fallen out of style in recent years, given to just five girls in 2024 for example.

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Carey

Irish

The name Carey peaked for girls at #304 in 1975. Carey is occasionally used for boys in 2025.

Cara

Carol

Carrie

The name Carey is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "dark, black".

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Names that Peaked in 1957

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Carey is a surname name that works equally well on babies of all genders: Jazz great Carey Bell and motorcross champion Carey Hart are just two examples of how handsome this name can be for a boy. Also spelled as Cary (as in Old-Hollywood actor, Cary Grant), it was popular for boys in the 50s and remained in the US charts from the 1880s to the 1990s. 
 
Usually considered an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Ciardha, the name ultimately comes from ciar meaning "black". It is possible however that it may be used as a variant of the Welsh Carew ("fort on the hill!); a twist on the Irish mac Fiachra ("son of Fiachra, son of the crow"); a name from the Byronic root karɨd ("to love); or an anglicized for of the German Gehring ("spear").
 
While Carey is a unisex choice, it reached great heights for girls in the US back in the 1970s, likely thanks to its similarities with Carrie, Kerry, Cheri, and Caroline. These days, it's leaning masculine again, albeit in very small numbers: just 18 boys and 5 girls were given the name in a recent year.

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The name Carey peaked for boys at #353 in 1957. Carey is occasionally used for girls in 2024.

Cary

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
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2024	—	0	0
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Carey

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