Unisex name · since 1897

Carnell

Carnell has 4,618 recorded births since 1897 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1958 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#1,887 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#7,709 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
4,618
born since 1897
1950s
peak decade

4,618 babies have been named Carnell since 1897, making it today's #7709 unisex name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carnell has been recorded 4,618 times among boys since 1897, currently ranked #7709 nationally and more common than 45% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 2025.

  • #1,887 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #7,709 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 4,618 born since 1897
  • 1950s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carnell ranks #1,887 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,709 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,618 born since 1897, peaking in the 1950s.

#1,887 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#7,709 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
4,618
born since 1897
1950s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%44.6%
Carnell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Carnell's 4,618 recorded births place it above 95.85% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

22 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.

How Carnell compares

4,618 Top 14% higher than 86% of 13,930 names currently given to boys

Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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

Carnell's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Carnell Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 4,618 369 358,536
Peak-year births 92 34 22,252

Carnell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Carnell's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1897, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1958 peak of 92, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Carnell popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1958)
92
Annual births at peak, across 129 years of records
020406080100 189719271942195719721987200220172025 10

Carnell popularity over time - girls

546 total births recorded since 1913 (Carnell as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 546 births
0510152025 191319201927193519431950195719651967 8

Carnell by decade

1950s is the heaviest window (734 births, 16% of the file).

1950s was Carnell's strongest decade.

734 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.

Carnell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1950s at 734 births (16% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Carnell compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Carnell's total volume

Carnell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15%20% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -144, 2.4%-115, 1.8%-75, 5.6%-67, 3.7%-108, 2.5%-109, 3.6%-62, 5.9%-79, 4%-62, 3.4%-138, 2.7%-42, 16.4%-72, 4.4%-54, 9.9%-38, 6.6%-146, 2.6%Carnell-129, 2%Carnell
Carnell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Carnell by state

Where Carnell concentrates geographically, total births since 1897

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Carnell
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 North Carolina
208 4.5%
#2 Illinois
205 4.4%
#3 South Carolina
185 4.0%
#4 California
110 2.4%
#5 Louisiana
88 1.9%
#6 Georgia
77 1.7%
#7 Mississippi
62 1.3%
#8 Florida
59 1.3%
North Carolina share of Carnell's total US births 4.5%
Even split

208 of 4,618 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.

Carnell appears in 22 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Carnell? ▼
4,618 babies have been named Carnell since 1897. All-time, it sits at #1,887 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. In 2025, it ranks #7,709 of 13,930 among boys. The peak year was 1958 with 92 births.
Where does Carnell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carnell ranks #1,887 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,709 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Carnell most popular? ▼
Carnell was most popular in the 1950s decade with 734 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Carnell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Carnell are North Carolina (208 births), Illinois (205 births), South Carolina (185 births).
Is Carnell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Carnell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,618 births, and as a girl's name it has 546 births.
How long has the name Carnell been used? ▼
Records for Carnell go back to 1897, giving 129 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Carnell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Carl, Carlos, Carter, Carson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Carnell's data

  • Carnell's decade-level peak was the 1950s (734 total births); usage has since declined to 62 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • North Carolina records the most Carnells (208 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Carnell

Nearby Names Like Carnell

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Carnell

Carl Boy
#1132 504,827 births
Carlos Boy
#150 307,036 births
Carter Boy
#45 206,833 births
Carson Boy
#124 132,774 births
Carlton Boy
#2884 48,890 births

Compare Carnell side by side: Carnell vs Carl Carnell vs Carlos Carnell vs Carter

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Carnell

Rue #7708
319 births · Peak 2022
Pate #7710
282 births · Peak 2003
Ivor #7707
863 births · Peak 1918
Basilio #7711
1,809 births · Peak 1990
Emily #7706
1,809 births · Peak 2004
Gordie #7712
213 births · Peak 1955
Ara #7705
1,301 births · Peak 1975
Taft #7713
1,544 births · Peak 1908

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Carnell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1897–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Carnell 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 August 2026.