Anglicized form of Carolus (see Charles), or of its feminine derivative Carola. It has never been common as a boy's name, and has become even less so since its growth in popularity as a girl's name. This seems to be of relatively recent origin (not being found much before the end of the 19th century). It probably originated as a short form of Caroline.
Southern Italian: possibly a variant of Fato, a short form of Bonifato (see Bonifacio), but more likely a nickname from fata, meaning ‘fairy’ in standard Italian or ‘praying mantis’ in Calabriandialect.