Carmel: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,004

among girls · ↓211 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Carmel · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 61,818

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1924

189 babies

All-time total

8,609

#2,038 all-time among girls

First recorded

1888

in Social Security records

Carmel popularity over time

8,609 babies have been named Carmel since 1888, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	5	–	5	1	–	#1,308
1890s	57	–	57	6	+1040%	#1,097
1900s	216	11	227	23	+298%	#663
1910s	794	246	1,040	104	+358%	#585
1920s	1,218	299	1,517	152	+46%	#601
1930s	749	208	957	96	-37%	#646
1940s	617	182	799	80	-17%	#887
1950s	985	113	1,098	110	+37%	#830
1960s	1,028	71	1,099	110	0%	#848
1970s	530	41	571	57	-48%	#1,293
1980s	336	50	386	39	-32%	#2,099
1990s	209	27	236	24	-39%	#3,535
2000s	200	52	252	25	+7%	#4,863
2010s	160	52	212	21	-16%	#5,856
2020s (to 2025)	112	41	153	26	+20%	#4,793

Where Carmel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	29	0.02	outside top 500
2027	32	0.02	outside top 500
2028	35	0.02	outside top 500
2029	38	0.02	outside top 500
2030	40	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Carmel

Carmel is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,004 in 2025 with 26 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1888, 8,609 American babies have been named Carmel, about 84% girls and 16% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1924, when 189 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Carmel stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Carmel?

The median living Carmel is about 61 years old; half are between 43 and 70. An estimated 4,400 people named Carmel are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Carmel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	26	#5,004	11	#7,280
2024	28	#4,793	6	#11,176
2023	12	#8,584	7	#9,921
2022	20	#6,036	6	#11,098
2021	13	#8,118	6	#11,024
2020	13	#8,064	5	#12,362
2019	14	#7,820	8	#9,035
2018	9	#10,739	–	–
2017	20	#6,094	6	#11,003
2016	8	#12,004	7	#9,840
2015	18	#6,777	–	–
2014	21	#6,029	8	#8,908
2013	22	#5,856	9	#8,223
2012	18	#6,930	7	#9,874
2011	17	#7,183	7	#9,783
2010	13	#8,823	–	–
2009	20	#6,611	10	#7,777
2008	20	#6,607	8	#9,133
2007	27	#5,263	7	#9,929
2006	19	#6,635	8	#8,850
2005	19	#6,319	6	#10,318
2004	20	#6,017	8	#8,255
2003	18	#6,361	–	–
2002	15	#7,119	5	#10,920
2001	24	#4,863	–	–
2000	18	#5,987	–	–
1995	29	#3,681	–	–
1990	30	#3,535	5	#8,298
1985	37	#2,603	8	#4,760
1980	49	#2,099	6	#5,615
1975	59	#1,642	7	#4,381
1970	83	#1,293	6	#4,304
1965	83	#1,177	5	#3,987
1960	131	#932	11	#2,555
1955	136	#830	9	#2,797
1950	67	#1,124	12	#2,230
1945	58	#1,016	17	#1,636
1940	45	#1,081	13	#1,996
1935	63	#866	17	#1,718
1930	94	#717	27	#1,401
1925	139	#623	37	#1,166
1920	115	#676	26	#1,462
1915	108	#632	23	#1,417
1910	40	#673	8	#1,217
1905	24	#737	–	–
1900	19	#864	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	6	#1,235	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Carmel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Carmel Busuttil Maltese footballer (born 1964) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Carmel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Carmel?

The median living Carmel is about 61 years old. Half of all living Carmels are between 43 and 70 years old.

How many people named Carmel are alive today?

An estimated 4,400 people named Carmel are alive in the United States, based on 8,609 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Carmel mean?

From Hebrew כַּרְמֶל (karmél, “vineyard of El/God”).

How popular is the name Carmel in 2025?

Carmel ranked #5,004 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 26 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Carmel?

8,609 babies have been named Carmel in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Carmel most popular?

Carmel peaked in 1924, when 189 newborns received the name.

Is Carmel a boy or girl name?

Carmel is used for both: about 84% of babies named Carmel have been girls and 16% boys.

Is the name Carmel rising or falling?

Carmel is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Carmel become more popular?

Carmel is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 40 girls named Carmel in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Carmel?

Well-known people named Carmel include Carmel Busuttil (soccer player).

Names like Carmel

Names that sound and feel close to Carmel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Carmel with similar names → More names starting with C →