Unisex nameCurrently #416 in the USSteady
Carmen
KAR-men//ˈkɑːrmən//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19616 lettersStarts with C
Meaning & origin
Song, or garden/vineyard
Carmen is the Spanish form of Carmel, referring to Mount Carmel in Israel and a Hebrew word for garden or vineyard; it also echoes the Latin 'carmen', meaning song. Famous through Bizet's opera 'Carmen', it carries a passionate, musical association.
Carmen's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Carmen |
|---|---|
| 1881 | 7 |
| 1882 | 7 |
| 1883 | 8 |
| 1884 | 14 |
| 1885 | 24 |
| 1886 | 16 |
| 1887 | 12 |
| 1888 | 26 |
| 1889 | 27 |
| 1890 | 28 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1892 | 41 |
| 1893 | 39 |
| 1894 | 54 |
| 1895 | 34 |
| 1896 | 56 |
| 1897 | 58 |
| 1898 | 71 |
| 1899 | 48 |
| 1900 | 101 |
| 1901 | 88 |
| 1902 | 80 |
| 1903 | 101 |
| 1904 | 92 |
| 1905 | 101 |
| 1906 | 155 |
| 1907 | 148 |
| 1908 | 134 |
| 1909 | 183 |
| 1910 | 222 |
| 1911 | 255 |
| 1912 | 326 |
| 1913 | 424 |
| 1914 | 547 |
| 1915 | 694 |
| 1916 | 784 |
| 1917 | 817 |
| 1918 | 910 |
| 1919 | 888 |
| 1920 | 1,049 |
| 1921 | 1,092 |
| 1922 | 1,100 |
| 1923 | 1,228 |
| 1924 | 1,286 |
| 1925 | 1,274 |
| 1926 | 1,278 |
| 1927 | 1,346 |
| 1928 | 1,346 |
| 1929 | 1,336 |
| 1930 | 1,318 |
| 1931 | 1,180 |
| 1932 | 1,121 |
| 1933 | 1,098 |
| 1934 | 1,076 |
| 1935 | 1,041 |
| 1936 | 1,055 |
| 1937 | 990 |
| 1938 | 996 |
| 1939 | 977 |
| 1940 | 1,042 |
| 1941 | 1,187 |
| 1942 | 1,255 |
| 1943 | 1,266 |
| 1944 | 1,142 |
| 1945 | 1,042 |
| 1946 | 1,284 |
| 1947 | 1,471 |
| 1948 | 1,544 |
| 1949 | 1,679 |
| 1950 | 1,659 |
| 1951 | 1,768 |
| 1952 | 1,810 |
| 1953 | 1,945 |
| 1954 | 1,998 |
| 1955 | 2,241 |
| 1956 | 2,416 |
| 1957 | 2,456 |
| 1958 | 2,345 |
| 1959 | 2,448 |
| 1960 | 2,615 |
| 1961 | 2,622 |
| 1962 | 2,593 |
| 1963 | 2,514 |
| 1964 | 2,554 |
| 1965 | 2,306 |
| 1966 | 2,257 |
| 1967 | 2,308 |
| 1968 | 2,422 |
| 1969 | 2,341 |
| 1970 | 2,329 |
| 1971 | 2,265 |
| 1972 | 2,092 |
| 1973 | 1,863 |
| 1974 | 1,840 |
| 1975 | 1,890 |
| 1976 | 1,711 |
| 1977 | 1,724 |
| 1978 | 1,532 |
| 1979 | 1,687 |
| 1980 | 1,559 |
| 1981 | 1,553 |
| 1982 | 1,385 |
| 1983 | 1,299 |
| 1984 | 1,375 |
| 1985 | 1,245 |
| 1986 | 1,277 |
| 1987 | 1,236 |
| 1988 | 1,251 |
| 1989 | 1,254 |
| 1990 | 1,406 |
| 1991 | 1,302 |
| 1992 | 1,277 |
| 1993 | 1,160 |
| 1994 | 1,235 |
| 1995 | 1,067 |
| 1996 | 931 |
| 1997 | 1,060 |
| 1998 | 1,188 |
| 1999 | 1,188 |
| 2000 | 1,261 |
| 2001 | 1,213 |
| 2002 | 1,083 |
| 2003 | 1,338 |
| 2004 | 1,399 |
| 2005 | 1,281 |
| 2006 | 1,331 |
| 2007 | 1,289 |
| 2008 | 1,354 |
| 2009 | 1,132 |
| 2010 | 1,054 |
| 2011 | 957 |
| 2012 | 971 |
| 2013 | 906 |
| 2014 | 878 |
| 2015 | 882 |
| 2016 | 861 |
| 2017 | 793 |
| 2018 | 751 |
| 2019 | 770 |
| 2020 | 726 |
| 2021 | 742 |
| 2022 | 723 |
| 2023 | 763 |
| 2024 | 834 |
Carmen through the decades
- Carmen peaked in 1961, when 2,622 babies were named Carmen in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Carmen has fallen 30% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Carmen currently ranks #416 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Carmelita
Variants & spellings
CarmelCarmelina