Carmela
Girl name · #1220 in 2025 · Rare
Carmela is currently the #1220 girl name in the United States — 186 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1831, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,677 girls born in 2025 was named Carmela.
Babies named Carmela per year. Source: SSA.
The 143-year story
Carmela first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1923, when 586 girls were named Carmela — good for #266 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carmela against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carmela in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Carmela is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Carmela will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Carmela is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carmela is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Carmela is most common in CT (0.9 per 1,000), NJ (0.6 per 1,000), NY (0.4 per 1,000), PA (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Carmela is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Carmela
Statistically, parents drawn to Carmela tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carmella, Manuela, Marcella, Lela, and Rosella.
CarmellaManuelaMarcellaLelaRosellaViolaLeonoraOdessa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carmela | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 186 | #1219 |
| 2024 | 208 | #1156 |
| 2023 | 153 | #1455 |
| 2022 | 131 | #1612 |
| 2021 | 135 | #1554 |
| 2020 | 138 | #1533 |
| 2019 | 149 | #1474 |
| 2018 | 115 | #1774 |
| 2017 | 114 | #1815 |
| 2016 | 117 | #1775 |
| 2015 | 113 | #1831 |
| 2014 | 124 | #1692 |
| 2013 | 117 | #1754 |
| 2012 | 87 | #2160 |
| 2011 | 101 | #1953 |
| 2010 | 94 | #2093 |
| 2009 | 115 | #1848 |
| 2008 | 113 | #1880 |
| 2007 | 119 | #1792 |
| 2006 | 124 | #1691 |
| 2005 | 124 | #1624 |
| 2004 | 110 | #1746 |
| 2003 | 98 | #1874 |
| 2002 | 78 | #2142 |
| 2001 | 68 | #2331 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carmela a popular girl name?
Carmela ranked #1220 among girls in 2025 with 186 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1831.
When was the name Carmela most popular?
Carmela peaked in 1923, when 586 American girls received the name (ranked #266 that year). Since 1923 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carmela?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,677 newborn American girls was named Carmela. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
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.