Carmel
Girl name · #4996 in 2025 · Uniqueness 49/100
Carmel is currently the #4996 girl name in the United States — 26 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #6721, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 69,231 girls born in 2025 was named Carmel.
The 137-year story
Carmel first appears in the Social Security records in 1888, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1962, when 155 girls were named Carmel — good for #846 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Carmel per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carmel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carmel in class?
Carmel scores 49 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Carmel is most common
State-level data for Carmel is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Carmel
Statistically, parents drawn to Carmel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cheryl, Barbie, Candy, Suzie, and Corinna.
CherylBarbieCandySuzieCorinnaUrsulaColleenCherry
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carmel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #4987 |
| 2024 | 28 | #4772 |
| 2023 | 12 | #8486 |
| 2022 | 20 | #5984 |
| 2021 | 13 | #8024 |
| 2020 | 13 | #7969 |
| 2019 | 14 | #7716 |
| 2018 | 9 | #10545 |
| 2017 | 20 | #6044 |
| 2016 | 8 | #11781 |
| 2015 | 18 | #6721 |
| 2014 | 21 | #5993 |
| 2013 | 22 | #5834 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6872 |
| 2011 | 17 | #7118 |
| 2010 | 13 | #8701 |
| 2009 | 20 | #6544 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 27 | #5230 |
| 2006 | 19 | #6592 |
| 2005 | 19 | #6245 |
| 2004 | 20 | #5969 |
| 2003 | 18 | #6299 |
| 2002 | 15 | #7045 |
| 2001 | 24 | #4834 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carmel a popular girl name?
Carmel ranked #4996 among girls in 2025 with 26 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #6721.
When was the name Carmel most popular?
Carmel peaked in 1962, when 155 American girls received the name (ranked #846 that year). Since 1962 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carmel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 69,231 newborn American girls was named Carmel. It scores 49/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.