Unisex name · since 1955

Karmel

137 babies named Karmel in U.S. Social Security records since 1955, with the highest year being 1966. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#23,717 of 72,339
all-time among girls
137
born since 1955
1960s
peak decade

Karmel is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 137 have been recorded since 1955.

Social Security Administration records show Karmel recorded 137 times among girls since 1955, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2021.

  • #23,717 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 137 born since 1955
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karmel ranks #23,717 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 137 born since 1955, peaking in the 1960s.

#23,717 of 72,339
all-time among girls
137
born since 1955
1960s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Karmel's 137 recorded births place it above 67.16% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Karmel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Karmel splits its recorded history at 1969: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1960 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1966 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Karmel popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2021

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (1966)
10
Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
4681012 19551960196419671972197920162021 5

Karmel popularity over time - boys

21 total births recorded since 2006 (Karmel as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 21 births
4681012 200620072012 6

Karmel by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (56 births, 41% of the file).

1960s was Karmel's strongest decade.

56 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.

Karmel births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 56 births (41% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Karmel?
Karmel has been given to 137 babies in the U.S. since 1955, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #23,717 of 72,339 among girls' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 2021. 10 babies were born in 1966, its single highest year.
Where does Karmel sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karmel ranks #23,717 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Karmel most popular?
Karmel was most popular in the 1960s decade with 56 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
Is Karmel a unisex name?
Yes, Karmel is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 137 births, and as a boy's name it has 21 births.
How long has the name Karmel been used?
The SSA has tracked Karmel since 1955 -- 67 years through the most recent 2021 data.
What names are similar to Karmel?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Karmel's data

  • Karmel's decade-level peak was the 1960s (56 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

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

Keep exploring Karmel

Nearby Names Like Karmel

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

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Karmel: 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, 1955–2021 (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 Karmel 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.