100 Baby Names That Start with ‘C’
From Cavin to Colette
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Choosing a name for your new baby is no easy feat. Pro tip: If you focus on options that start with a specific letter, it’s much easier to narrow things down. We’ve already rounded up our top picks for names beginning with “A” and “B,” and now, we've compiled a list of baby names that start with “C.”
This list has been compiled from a variety of resources (such as the Social Security Administration’s collection of the most popular monikers for boys and girls) and even includes top picks from our editors. Here are 100 “C” names to get you started.
Classic ‘C’ Names for Boys
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1. Carter
Of Irish, English and Scottish origin, this unisex name means “driver of a cart or wagon.” Makes sense.
2. Christopher
Landing the #56 spot on the popular names list, it means “Christ-bearer.”
3. Caleb
Of Hebrew origin, it means “whole hearted.”
4. Christian
Of English origin, Christian means “follower of Christ.”
5. Charles
We like Charlie for short.
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6. Carson
Another unisex name, Carson means “Christian” and is of American origin. No doubt made popular by television host Carson Daly.
7. Camden
This name—which is of English origin—means “from the valley of the camps.”
8. Colton
Or Colten if you prefer, it literally means “Cole’s town.”
9. Cameron
Commonly used for both boys and girls, this American moniker means “bent nose.” Other variations include Camryn, Kamryn and Kamron.
10. Colin
Commonly a surname, the name has Irish and Scottish roots.
11. Clark
Also spelled Clarke, it’s derived from the English surname. Not to mention, its Superman’s alter-ego, which makes it even cooler.
12. Corey
Other variations include Cori, Koree, Korey, Corrie, Cory and Corie, to name a few.
13. Coleman
Courtesy of England, the name means “charcoal burner.” Might we suggest Cole for a nickname?
14. Cooper
Like Coleman, Cooper is also an occupational name, only this one means “barrel maker.”
15. Carlos
This Spanish moniker means “free man.”
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16. Cole
See #13 for the meaning of this name.
17. Charlie
Like we said before, this one can be used as a nickname for Charles. But it also does well all on its own.
18. Calvin
As in Klein (or Harris if your babe is into electronic music).
19. Callum
Courtesy of Scotland, it literally means “dove.” We love Cal for short.
20. Chaim
"L'Chaim" is a Hebrew toast to Life, so Chaim on its own means “life.”
Cool ‘C’ Names for Boys
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21. Creed
Yes, like Creed Bratton from The Office.
22. Cavin
It literally means “beautiful at birth.”
23. Cruz
Also the son of Victoria and David Beckham, Cruz means “cross.”
24. Caspian
The name is taken from the Caspian Sea and is of English origin.
25. Carl
Carl is the male version of Carley and (like Carlos) means “free man.”
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26. Clayton
Or simply Clay, if you’re looking for something short and sweet.
27. Chance
Commonly short for Chancellor, Chance can also stand alone.
28. Cordell
Cordell simply means “rope maker.”
29. Cash
Short for Cassius, this Latin moniker means "hollow."
30. Corbin
Like Cash, Corbin is of Latin origin. Only this one is used for both boys and girls and means "crow.”
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31. Cody
Originally an Irish surname, the name can also be spelled Codey or Codie.
32. Cohen
This religious name means “priest.”
33. Cleavon
Pronounced klee-von, the name is of African origin.
34. Crosby
We can thank famous singer Bing Crosby for the name’s popularity.
35. Cassidy
This unisex name comes from Ireland and means “curly haired.” Cassie has become a popular nickname for this one.
Unusual ‘C’ Names for Boys
36. Casim
It literally means "the person who distributes" and has four variations including Kassim, Cassim, Qasim and Qassim.
37. Chante
It means “song” so fingers crossed he'll be musically inclined.
38. Cesar
Literally meaning “thick head of hair,” you’ll know if this one will fit right off the bat.
39. Cade
This unisex moniker means “sturdy.”
40. Cyrus
No doubt made popular by Miley Cyrus and her large family.
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41. Chandler
It means “candle maker”.
42. Cairo
This powerful (not to mention, unisex) name means “victorious one” and is of Arabic origin. It’s also the name of Tia Mowry’s daughter.
43. Case
“Bringer of peace.” Need we say more?
44. Cannon
The name Cannon means “clergyman” and is of English origin. It’s also a form of the name Cain, which means "wolf cub."
45. Calbert
This French name means “cowboy.” Yee-haw.
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46. Cassius
Refer back to #29 for nickname inspo.
47. Curtis
Also spelled Kurtis, this Latin name means “courteous or courtly.”
48. Caden
It means “fighter” so there’s a good chance he'll be able to hold his own.
49. Carmelo
Of both Hebrew and Spanish origin, Carmelo is also a saint's name and—in modern times—tied to basketball player Carmelo Anthony.
50. Crew
Crew is a name of Latin origin meaning “chariot.” The name became more popular in recent years after Joanna Gaines chose it for her youngest son.
Classic ‘C’ Names for Girls
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51. Charlotte
Landing the #3 spot on the popular names list, it means “free.”
52. Camila
Or Camilla if you prefer, this name literally means “perfect.”
53. Chloe
Not quite as common as Charlotte or Camila, this "C" name of Greek origin is still a classic choice. It means “verdant and blooming.”
54. Cynthia
Cynthia—which means "from Mount Cynthus”—can be shortened to Cindy, Cyndi or even Cyndy.
55. Caroline
“Beautiful woman.” What more can new parents ask for?
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56. Cora
It simply means “heart” which we’re sure she’ll have a lot of.
57. Clementine
If you’re looking for something in the citrus category.
58. Clara
Clara is the Latinized form of the name Claire/Clare. It means “bright” or “illustrious.”
59. Cecilia
It means “blind to one's own beauty.” Might we suggest Cece for a nickname?
60. Catherine
Courtesy of Greece, the name means “pure.”
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61. Camille
A slight variation on the name in #52, but keeping the same meaning.
62. Cybil
It means “soothsayer” so hopefully she sees a future of sleep-filled nights.
63. Celeste
Derived from the Latin caelestis, the name means “heavenly” or “celestial.”
64. Christina
Call her Chris or Chrissy for short.
65. Chelsea
This Old English name means “chalk wharf.”
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66. Celine
Yup, like Dion. Need we say more?
67. Chana
This Hebrew name is a popular variation of Hannah and means “gracious.” Chana has now remained on the top 1,000 list since 2008.
68. Ciara
We can thank famous singer Ciara for the name’s popularity in recent years. Similar to the male version (Ciaran), this name means “black.”
69. Carolyn
With a name that literally means “little womanly one,” your daughter is destined to be small but mighty.
70. Cathleen
Meaning “pure” or “clear,” Cathleen is of American origin. And you can’t go wrong with the nickname Cath.
Cool ‘C’ Names for Girls
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71. Camryn
Commonly used for both boys and girls, this American moniker means “bent nose.” Other variations include Camren, Kamryn and Kamron.
72. Charlie
Usually short for Charlotte, Charlie does well all on its own.
73. Carmen
The name Carmen means “poem” and is of Latin origin.
74. Cleona
Pronounced kleena or klee-ow-na, it’s a variation of the Gaelic name Cliodhna—a beautiful goddess in ancient Irish legend.
75. Cheyenne
Of Native American origin, Cheyenne has several different spellings—Cheyanne, Sheyenne, Shyanne, Shyann and Shianne.
76. Callie
Originally short for Calista, Callie means “beautiful” and has several different variations, including Kallie, Caleigh, Calli and Cally.
77. Cherise
Also spelled Charise (or Cherice), this French name means “precious one.”
78. Chaka
This name means “life” or “energy center,” and has some serious cool factor thanks to the one and only Chaka Khan.
79. Catalina
Like Catherine, Catalina means “pure.” Only this one is of Spanish origin.
80. Cataleya
Cataleya is the name of a genus of orchids. It gained popularity as a baby name after it was used for the character played by Zoe Saldana in Colombiana.
81. Carter
Of Irish, English and Scottish origin, this unisex moniker means “driver of a cart or wagon.” Makes sense.
82. Chantoya
A version of the Old French name Chantal, it means “stone” or “boulder.”
83. Cadence
It means “rhythm” so fingers crossed she'll be musically talented.
84. Carly
Further popularized by Carly Simon in the 1970s, Carly is the female version or Carl and means “free man.” Or in this case, woman.
85. Colette
Courtesy of France, this powerful "C" name means “victory of the people.” It can also be spelled with two “Ls” if you’re looking to switch things up.
Unusual ‘C’ Names for Girls
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86. Candela
A shorter version of Candelaria, a Spanish name derived from candle, Candela means “illuminated.”
87. Collins
Commonly a surname, Collins made the girls' top 1,000 list after the release of the film Blind Side, in which the daughter was named Collins.
88. Charmaine
This name—which is of English origin—means “song.”
89. Caprice
This moniker means “playful.”
90. Coraline
Like Caroline with a twist. This combo name (Cora+ Caroline) means “heart” or “maiden.”
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91. Carlita
Another female form of Carl, the Spanish Carlita also means “free man.”
92. Cyrah
Courtesy of Africa, the moniker means “enthroned.”
93. Carissa
Another combo of two names, Carissa (coming from the names Melissa and Cara) is of Italian origin.
94. Chaya
Pronounced kai-ya, the name is of Hebrew origin.
95. Cassandra
Of Greek origin, Cassandra means “she who entangles men.” It is also a character in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.
96. Cassidy
This unisex name comes from Ireland and means “curly haired.” Cassie has become a popular nickname for this one.
97. Calliope
Literally meaning "beautiful-voiced," Calliope is also a Greek goddess who presided over poetry, song and the arts.
98. Claudia
The feminine version of Claude, this Latin name means “enclosure."
99. Concetta
It means “conception” and is of Italian origin.
100. Cara
The name Cara is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "dear friend.” Not to mention, it also has Irish, Italian and Portuguese ties.
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