Total births
7,216
Unisex name · since 1888
Carmel
7,216 babies named Carmel in U.S. Social Security records since 1888, with the highest year being 1962. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4780
- among girls today
- 7,216
- born since 1888
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other girls
Carmel currently ranks #4780 among unisex names in America, with 7,216 babies recorded since 1888.
Social Security Administration records show Carmel recorded 7,216 times among girls since 1888, holding rank #4780 nationally today, ahead of 73% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #4780 among girls today
- 7,216 born since 1888
- 1920s peak decade
- 73% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carmel is currently the #4780 unisex name in America, more common than 73% of girls - 7,216 born since 1888, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4780
- among girls today
- 7,216
- born since 1888
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other girls
Carmel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4780
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 73% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Carmel was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
155 babies were named Carmel in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Carmel compares
7,216 Top 11% higher than 89% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Carmel's all-time total is 19x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carmel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,216 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 155 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carmel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Carmel splits its recorded history at 1958: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1888 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 155 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Carmel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1962
Current rank
#4,780
Active since
1888
Carmel popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 155
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Carmel popularity over time - boys
1,393 total births recorded since 1906 (Carmel as boys' name)
Carmel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Carmel's strongest decade.
1,218 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Carmel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 57
1890s
57 births
- 1900s 216
1900s
216 births
- 1910s
1910s
794 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,218 births
- 1930s
1930s
749 births
- 1940s
1940s
617 births
- 1950s
1950s
985 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,028 births
- 1970s
1970s
530 births
- 1980s 336
1980s
336 births
- 1990s 209
1990s
209 births
- 2000s 200
2000s
200 births
- 2010s 160
2010s
160 births
- 2020s 112
2020s
112 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,218 births (17% of all-time use).
How Carmel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Carmel's total volume
Carmel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carmel by state
Where Carmel concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 825 | 11.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 720 | 10.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 419 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 398 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 367 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Connecticut | | 272 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 111 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 105 | 1.5% |
California share of Carmel's total US births 11.4%
Even split
825 of 7,216 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Carmel appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carmel? ▼
Since 1888, Social Security records show 7,216 babies named Carmel. Today it holds rank #4780 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1962, with 155 births.
When was Carmel most popular? ▼
Carmel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,218 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Carmel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carmel are California (825 births), New York (720 births), Texas (419 births).
Is Carmel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carmel is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 7,216 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,393 births.
How long has the name Carmel been used? ▼
Carmel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1888, spanning 138 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carmel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carol, Carolyn, Carrie, Caroline, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Carmel's data
- Carmel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,218 total births); usage has since declined to 112 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carmels (825 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Carmel
Nearby Names Like Carmel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carmel
Carol Girl
#2639 816,928 births
Carolyn Girl
#1160 556,777 births
Carrie Girl
#3013 266,350 births
Caroline Girl
#92 250,410 births
Carla Girl
#1009 150,390 births
Compare Carmel side by side: Carmel vs Carol Carmel vs Carolyn Carmel vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carmel
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carmel: #4780 Unisex Name - 7,216 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carmel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Carmel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.