The first name Carmen
A unisex name from Spanish.
Pronounced /ˈkɑː(ɹ)mən/ 2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Spanish origin
From Spanish Carmen, cognate with English Carmel. Made famous outside Spain by the opera Carmen (1875) by Georges Bizet.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 46 girls were named Carmen, making it the 792nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2004, with 126 births (#318).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Carmen with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Carmen at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 798 girls born in the United States were named Carmen, the 389th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1960, when 2,440 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Carmen in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Carmen in French too.
Famous people named Carmen
56 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Carmen ElectraAmerican actress, model, and singer, born 1972
- Carmen KassEstonian model and actress (born 1978)
- Carmen EjogoBritish actress, born 1973
- Carmen McRaeAmerican jazz musician and actress (1922-1994)
- Carmen ArgenzianoActor from the United States (1943-2019)
- Carmen MartínAlmeriar eskubaloiko jokalaria, born 1988
- Carmen VillalobosColombian actress, born 1983
- Carmen ZapataAmerican actress (1927-2014)
- Carmen Dell'OreficeAmerican model, actress, born 1931
- Carmen BasilioAmerican boxer (1927–2012)
- Carmen ReinhartAmerican economist, born 1955
- Carmen HartAmerican pornographic actress, born 1984
More Spanish unisex names
Questions
- What does the name Carmen mean?
- From Spanish Carmen, cognate with English Carmel. Made famous outside Spain by the opera Carmen (1875) by Georges Bizet.
- What is the origin of the name Carmen?
- From Spanish Carmen, cognate with English Carmel. Made famous outside Spain by the opera Carmen (1875) by Georges Bizet.
- How popular is the name Carmen?
- In 2025, 46 girls born in England and Wales were named Carmen, ranking 792nd. Its peak was 2004, with 126 births.
- Is Carmen a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 159,756 US babies named Carmen since 1880, 89% were girls and 11% boys.
- When was Carmen most popular?
- 1960 in the United States, when 2,440 babies were named Carmen, its highest rank at 167th.
- How do you pronounce Carmen?
- Carmen is /ˈkɑː(ɹ)mən/, 2 syllables.
- Is Carmen also a surname?
- Yes. Carmen is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.