Carlisle is a surname of Norman origin, derived from the French word 'car' meaning 'fortress'. It was brought to England by William the Conqueror and his invading forces in 1066. Over time, Carlisle evolved into a given name as well, often used for boys but also sometimes for girls.
The name gained popularity during the Victorian era in England due to its association with notable figures like the Earls of Cumberland who held the title from the 14th century onwards and had the surname Carlisle. It also shares roots with the city of Carlisle in Cumbria, which was founded by the Romans and later became an important defensive stronghold.
In literature, the name Carlisle appears in works such as "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins, where one of the characters is named Ezra Jennings Carlisle. In more recent times, it has been used in popular culture, for instance, as a character name in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.
These statistics show a fluctuating pattern of births over time for the name Carlisle. The early years have varying numbers between 5 and 29 births per year, with peaks in 1893, 1915-1918, and 1924-1926. After the 1930s, there's a general decline until the late 1970s when numbers hover between 5 to 13 births annually. From the mid-1980s onwards, there's another rise, reaching peaks in recent years (e.g., 41 in 2010, 47 in 2012). Overall, from 1888 to 2023, there have been a total of 1790 births with the name Carlisle.