In English, name Carol means – Manly, strong. A variant of Charles; from Carolus, the Latinized form of name. Famous bearer: Pope John Paul IIs real name is Karol Wojtyla. Karol is a variant spelling of Carol used in several European countries.. Other origins for name Carol include – English, French, French, Gaelic. Name Carol is a unisex name and can be used for a boy or girl name (male or female).