Total births
142,795
Unisex name · since 1881
Carmen
Carmen has 142,795 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #417
- among girls today
- 142,795
- born since 1881
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Carmen is the #417 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 142,795 recorded since 1881.
Carmen has 142,795 recorded births among girls since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #417 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #417 among girls today
- 142,795 born since 1881
- 1960s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Carmen is currently the #417 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 142,795 born since 1881, peaking in the 1960s.
- #417
- among girls today
- 142,795
- born since 1881
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Carmen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#417
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Carmen was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
2,440 babies were named Carmen in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Carmen compares
142,795 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Carmen's all-time total is 374x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Carmen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 142,795 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,440 | 48 | 19,840 |
Carmen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Carmen splits its recorded history at 1953: 73% of all births land in the more recent half, 27% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1881 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 2,440 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Carmen at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1960
Current rank
#417
Active since
1881
Carmen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 2,440
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Carmen popularity over time - boys
16,961 total births recorded since 1894 (Carmen as boys' name)
Carmen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Carmen's strongest decade.
22,888 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Carmen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 141
1880s
141 births
- 1890s 419
1890s
419 births
- 1900s 1,040
1900s
1,040 births
- 1910s 4,104
1910s
4,104 births
- 1920s
1920s
9,180 births
- 1930s 8,569
1930s
8,569 births
- 1940s
1940s
10,692 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,953 births
- 1960s
1960s
22,888 births
- 1970s
1970s
17,873 births
- 1980s
1980s
12,624 births
- 1990s
1990s
11,158 births
- 2000s
2000s
12,217 births
- 2010s 8,556
2010s
8,556 births
- 2020s 4,381
2020s
4,381 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 22,888 births (16% of all-time use).
How Carmen 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 Carmen's total volume
Carmen vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Carmen by state
Where Carmen concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 21,590 | 15.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 17,861 | 12.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 17,589 | 12.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 6,760 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 4,405 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 4,306 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 4,138 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 4,135 | 2.9% |
California share of Carmen's total US births 15.1%
Even split
21,590 of 142,795 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Carmen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Carmen? ▼
142,795 babies have been named Carmen since 1881. It currently ranks #417 among girls. The peak year was 1960 with 2,440 births.
When was Carmen most popular? ▼
Carmen was most popular in the 1960s decade with 22,888 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Carmen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carmen are California (21,590 births), New York (17,861 births), Texas (17,589 births).
Is Carmen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carmen is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 142,795 births, and as a boy's name it has 16,961 births.
How long has the name Carmen been used? ▼
Carmen has been recorded in Social Security data since 1881, spanning 145 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Carmen? ▼
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 Carmen's data
- Carmen's decade-level peak was the 1960s (22,888 total births); usage has since declined to 4,381 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Carmens (21,590 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 Carmen
Nearby Names Like Carmen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carmen
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 Carmen side by side: Carmen vs Carol Carmen vs Carolyn Carmen vs Carrie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Carmen
Alayah #416
12,228 births · Peak 2020
Liana #418
20,666 births · Peak 2025
Wynter #415
10,728 births · Peak 2021
Phoenix #419
16,064 births · Peak 2020
Helena #414
40,412 births · Peak 2025
Holly #420
205,304 births · Peak 1983
Mariah #413
115,096 births · Peak 1996
Madilyn #421
23,632 births · Peak 2008
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Carmen: #417 Unisex Name - 142,795 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/carmen. 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 Carmen 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.