Carmen

Carmen: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “song; poem”
Origin: Latin
Say it: KAHR-men · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls (89% of all uses)

In Spanish use, Carmen comes from the Marian title Virgen del Carmen, linked to Mount Carmel. It also coincides with Latin carmen, meaning 'song' or 'poem'; both associations influence modern understanding.

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How popular is Carmen?

2024251 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Carmen in 2024834

2024 rank#416 girls

Peak year1968

Total US babies since 1880158,841

Carmen has been fairly stable over the last fifteen years.

Names like Carmen

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Karmengarden · Spanish
Camilayoung ceremonial attendant · Latin
Lunamoon · Latin
Auroradawn · Latin
Emilyrival · Latin
Norahonor · Latin
Lucylight · Latin
Gracegrace; favor · Latin

Carmen questions

What does the name Carmen mean?

Carmen means "song; poem". It comes from Latin. In Spanish use, Carmen comes from the Marian title Virgen del Carmen, linked to Mount Carmel. It also coincides with Latin carmen, meaning 'song' or 'poem'; both associations influence modern understanding.

Is Carmen a boy or girl name?

Carmen is mainly a girl's name in US records (89% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Carmen?

834 US babies were named Carmen in 2024. Its peak year was 1968.

How do you pronounce Carmen?

Carmen is usually pronounced KAHR-men.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.