Total births
6,965
Girls' name · since 1887
Carmelita
Since 1887, U.S. Social Security records show 6,965 babies named Carmelita, peaking in 1973. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7266
- among girls today
- 6,965
- born since 1887
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Carmelita currently ranks #7266 among girls' names in America, with 6,965 babies recorded since 1887.
Social Security Administration records show Carmelita recorded 6,965 times among girls since 1887, holding rank #7266 nationally today, ahead of 59% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 2025.
- #7266 among girls today
- 6,965 born since 1887
- 1950s peak decade
- 59% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carmelita is currently the #7266 girls' name in America, more common than 59% of girls - 6,965 born since 1887, peaking in the 1950s.
- #7266
- among girls today
- 6,965
- born since 1887
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Carmelita vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7266
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 59% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Carmelita was born in this single decade.
1973
Single peak year
140 babies were named Carmelita in 1973 - its busiest year on record.
How Carmelita compares
6,965 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
Carmelita's all-time total is 18x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carmelita | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,965 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 140 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carmelita's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Carmelita's full recorded timeline at 1956, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1887, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1973 peak of 140 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Carmelita at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1973
Current rank
#7,266
Active since
1887
Carmelita popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–2025
- Peak year (1973)
- 140
- Annual births at peak, across 139 years of records
Carmelita by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Carmelita's strongest decade.
970 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Carmelita births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 16
1880s
16 births
- 1890s 90
1890s
90 births
- 1900s 127
1900s
127 births
- 1910s 350
1910s
350 births
- 1920s
1920s
669 births
- 1930s
1930s
772 births
- 1940s
1940s
748 births
- 1950s
1950s
970 births
- 1960s
1960s
909 births
- 1970s
1970s
968 births
- 1980s
1980s
562 births
- 1990s 353
1990s
353 births
- 2000s 221
2000s
221 births
- 2010s 144
2010s
144 births
- 2020s 66
2020s
66 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 970 births (14% of all-time use).
How Carmelita 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 Carmelita's total volume
Carmelita vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carmelita by state
Where Carmelita concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,154 | 16.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 429 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 311 | 4.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 258 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 185 | 2.7% |
| #6 | New Mexico | | 185 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 125 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 63 | 0.9% |
California share of Carmelita's total US births 16.6%
Even split
1,154 of 6,965 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Carmelita appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carmelita? ▼
6,965 babies have been named Carmelita since 1887. It currently ranks #7266 among girls. The peak year was 1973 with 140 births.
When was Carmelita most popular? ▼
Carmelita was most popular in the 1950s decade with 970 total births. The single peak year was 1973.
Where is Carmelita most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carmelita are California (1,154 births), Texas (429 births), Illinois (311 births).
How long has the name Carmelita been used? ▼
Carmelita has been recorded in Social Security data since 1887, spanning 139 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carmelita? ▼
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 Carmelita's data
- Carmelita's decade-level peak was the 1950s (970 total births); usage has since declined to 66 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carmelitas (1,154 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 Carmelita
Nearby Names Like Carmelita
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carmelita
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 Carmelita side by side: Carmelita vs Carol Carmelita vs Carolyn Carmelita vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carmelita
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, 1887–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carmelita: #7266 Girls' Name - 6,965 Births, Peak 1973." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carmelita. 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 Carmelita 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.