I always liked my name because of the song, ‘Sweet Caroline,’ by Neil Diamond. When I was very little, I did musical theatre and was always attracted to upbeat melodies and happy lyrics. When I heard ‘Sweet Caroline’ for the first time, I knew I had to learn the words, not only because it had my name in it, but because I loved the good energy it brought to people. 

Anyone looking up the meaning of Caroline will learn that it is the French feminine form of Carolus, which is itself the Latin form of the Germanic name Karl, which derives from a German word meaning “man” (“Caroline”). The name initially appeared in Western Europe in its masculine form, Charles, after the reign of Charlemagne, the famous ninth-century King of the Franks. The name Caroline was especially popular in European families in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (“Caroline”). 

My mom named me Caroline because she found it in a baby book and liked the sound of it. My sister was named Abigail, and my mom wanted me to follow her name alphabetically, so Caroline was perfect. At home, I’ve always been Caroline (no nickname for me). But many of my friends call me Caro. I became especially proud to go by this when I came across the story of the notorious Lady Caroline Lamb. Lamb, who was also called Caro by her friends, was an eighteenth-century British woman known for her wit, independence, and being wildly ahead of her time. She was criticized for embarking on her own writing career and seeking love outside of the boundaries of traditional marriage (Fraser). She had a love affair with the poet Lord Byron and afterward wrote a Gothic novel about their romance (Fraser). 

This duality I’ve found in my name’s history is exciting. I love that I can be the epitome of sweetness like the song on some days, while on others, I can see myself as an independent trailblazer who doesn’t care what people think. 

Works Cited

         “Caroline.” Behind the Name. behindthename.com/name/caroline. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

Caro: The lady Caroline Lamb Website. Caro: The Lady Caroline Lamb Website. (n.d.). https://sites.google.com/sjsu.edu/caro/home?utm_source=faculty&utm_medium=301&utm_campaign=douglass-caro. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.

Diamond, Neil. “Sweet Caroline.” Genius Lyrics, 16 Apr. 1969, genius.com/Neil-diamond-sweet-caroline-lyrics. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.