Carmela Girl

Popularity: #762 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: kar-MEL-uh //kɑːrˈmɛlə//

Origin: Italian; Spanish

Meaning: Italian: song; Spanish: garden

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Carmela has its roots in the Hebrew word "karmel," which means "vineyard" or "orchard." This term is derived from the biblical Mount Carmel, a significant location in ancient Israel known for its lush vegetation and beauty. The name was adopted into Latin as "Carmelus," and subsequently made its way into various languages, including Italian and Spanish, where it evolved into "Carmela." The transition into English occurred through the influence of these languages, particularly during the periods of cultural exchange in the Renaissance and the subsequent spread of Christianity.

Historically, the name Carmela is associated with the Carmelite Order, a religious order founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel. This order is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and emphasizes contemplative prayer and community life.

The name gained further prominence through the veneration of saints, particularly Saint Teresa of Ávila, a prominent figure in the Carmelite tradition who lived in the 16th century. Her works and reforms within the order contributed to the name's association with spirituality and devotion.

Culturally, Carmela carries connotations of beauty and nature, reflecting its etymological roots linked to vineyards and orchards. The name is often associated with nurturing qualities, resonating with the themes of fertility and growth found in its original meaning.

In various cultures, it has been embraced not only for its religious significance but also for its melodic sound and connection to the natural world. The diminutive form "Carmie" has also been used in some contexts, adding a layer of familiarity and affection to the name.

Famous people named Carmela

In this section, you will find notable people named Carmela. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Carmela who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Carmela who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Carmela Soprano is a fictional character best known for her role in The Sopranos.

Carmela Gorga is a reality television personality best known for her appearances on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Fictional characters named Carmela

The following list of fictional characters named Carmela is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Carmela Soprano is a fictional character from the TV series The Sopranos. She is the wife of mob boss Tony Soprano and plays a significant role in the family's dynamics and the challenges of mob life.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Carmela, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CarmenCarlaCamilaCassandraCarinaCecilia

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Carmela. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CarminaCarmelitaCarmelCarinaCassandraCeliaClaraCynthia

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Carmela was first seen in the United States in 1882.

Carmela has ranked as high as #493 nationally, which occurred in 1923, and has been most popular in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Carmela has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Carmela is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Carmela was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Carmela.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 186 0 186
2024 208 0 208
2023 153 0 153
2022 131 0 131
2021 135 0 135
2020 138 0 138
2019 149 0 149
2018 115 0 115
2017 114 0 114
2016 117 0 117
2015 113 0 113
2014 124 0 124
2013 117 0 117
2012 87 0 87
2011 101 0 101
2010 94 0 94
2009 115 0 115
2008 113 0 113
2007 119 0 119
2006 124 0 124
2005 124 0 124
2004 110 0 110
2003 98 0 98
2002 78 0 78
2001 68 0 68
2000 56 0 56
1999 79 0 79
1998 55 0 55
1997 59 0 59
1996 63 0 63
1995 69 0 69
1994 65 0 65
1993 58 0 58
1992 78 0 78
1991 67 0 67
1990 81 0 81
1989 83 0 83
1988 78 0 78
1987 72 0 72
1986 73 0 73
1985 94 0 94
1984 72 5 67
1983 85 0 85
1982 107 0 107
1981 104 0 104
1980 132 0 132
1979 100 0 100
1978 116 0 116
1977 114 0 114
1976 134 0 134
1975 162 0 162
1974 142 0 142
1973 141 0 141
1972 151 0 151
1971 164 0 164
1970 176 0 176
1969 199 0 199
1968 182 0 182
1967 205 0 205
1966 195 0 195
1965 192 0 192
1964 225 0 225
1963 206 0 206
1962 253 0 253
1961 221 0 221
1960 213 0 213
1959 219 0 219
1958 190 0 190
1957 181 0 181
1956 183 0 183
1955 148 0 148
1954 141 0 141
1953 148 0 148
1952 174 0 174
1951 153 0 153
1950 183 0 183
1949 161 0 161
1948 172 0 172
1947 176 0 176
1946 154 0 154
1945 156 0 156
1944 141 0 141
1943 203 0 203
1942 196 0 196
1941 176 0 176
1940 196 0 196
1939 198 0 198
1938 209 0 209
1937 209 0 209
1936 233 0 233
1935 252 0 252
1934 275 0 275
1933 305 0 305
1932 384 0 384
1931 363 0 363
1930 457 0 457
1929 498 0 498
1928 499 0 499
1927 529 0 529
1926 524 0 524
1925 565 0 565
1924 578 0 578
1923 586 0 586
1922 574 0 574
1921 564 0 564
1920 513 0 513
1919 480 0 480
1918 517 0 517
1917 479 0 479
1916 451 0 451
1915 430 0 430
1914 341 0 341
1913 238 0 238
1912 213 0 213
1911 172 0 172
1910 140 0 140
1909 106 0 106
1908 105 0 105
1907 113 0 113
1906 94 0 94
1905 88 0 88
1904 78 0 78
1903 69 0 69
1902 61 0 61
1901 44 0 44
1900 57 0 57
1899 49 0 49
1898 38 0 38
1897 32 0 32
1896 33 0 33
1895 37 0 37
1894 31 0 31
1893 19 0 19
1892 14 0 14
1891 18 0 18
1890 9 0 9
1889 15 0 15
1888 17 0 17
1882 5 0 5

Top States for Carmela (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
NY 27
17%
CA 24
15%
PA 20
13%
TX 16
10%
NJ 11
7%
IL 10
6%
FL 9
6%
OH 9
6%
CT 8
5%
MA 7
4%
WA 5
3%
MD 5
3%
CO 5
3%