Carmen
Girl name · #389 in 2025 · Uniqueness 49/100
Carmen ranks #389 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 798 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #380, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,256 girls born in 2025 was named Carmen.
The 144-year story
Carmen first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 2,440 girls were named Carmen — good for #167 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 Carmen per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carmen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carmen in class?
Carmen 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 Carmen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Carmen is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Carmens were TX (99), CA (81), FL (47), NC (39), OH (39). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Carmen
Statistically, parents drawn to Carmen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Eileen, Catherine, Regina, Gwen, and Ellen.
EileenCatherineReginaGwenEllenGwendolynLeslieDiana
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carmen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 798 | #389 |
| 2024 | 751 | #417 |
| 2023 | 712 | #435 |
| 2022 | 696 | #453 |
| 2021 | 716 | #437 |
| 2020 | 708 | #433 |
| 2019 | 743 | #428 |
| 2018 | 733 | #431 |
| 2017 | 776 | #409 |
| 2016 | 830 | #400 |
| 2015 | 859 | #380 |
| 2014 | 855 | #383 |
| 2013 | 881 | #358 |
| 2012 | 943 | #332 |
| 2011 | 919 | #349 |
| 2010 | 1,017 | #314 |
| 2009 | 1,106 | #301 |
| 2008 | 1,312 | #262 |
| 2007 | 1,244 | #275 |
| 2006 | 1,284 | #257 |
| 2005 | 1,227 | #268 |
| 2004 | 1,363 | #239 |
| 2003 | 1,291 | #254 |
| 2002 | 1,020 | #306 |
| 2001 | 1,175 | #267 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carmen a popular girl name?
Carmen ranked #389 among girls in 2025 with 798 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #380.
When was the name Carmen most popular?
Carmen peaked in 1960, when 2,440 American girls received the name (ranked #167 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carmen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,256 newborn American girls was named Carmen. 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.