Carmetta
A feminine name of Spanish origin, potentially meaning "vineyard worker".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Carmetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carmetta today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carmetta births was 1919 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carmetta. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Carmetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1919
8 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1970 SSA rank
#8,138
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Carmetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carmetta from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 8 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Carmetta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carmetta by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Carmetta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carmetta
The name Carmetta has its roots in ancient Latin and Greek cultures, originating as a feminine variant of the masculine name Carmel. This name is derived from the Hebrew word "kerem," meaning vineyard or garden, and the related word "karmel," which refers to a fertile planted field or orchard. The name's connection to these agricultural terms likely stems from its association with the biblical Mount Carmel, a fertile mountain range located in northern Israel.
In ancient Roman texts, the name Carmetta appears as a feminine form of the Latin name Carmentis, who was a goddess of childbirth and prophecy. According to legend, Carmentis was one of the earliest residents of ancient Rome and was revered for her skills in interpreting oracles and predicting the future.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carmetta can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who mentioned a woman named Carmetta living in the 6th century BC. Livy's account suggests that Carmetta was a respected figure in the early days of the Roman Republic.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Carmetta. One such person was Carmetta Kendrick (1887-1966), an American educator and civil rights activist who fought for equal rights and educational opportunities for African Americans in the early 20th century.
Another prominent figure was Carmetta Hernandez (1923-2010), a Puerto Rican artist and sculptor known for her vibrant paintings and intricate wood carvings that celebrated her Caribbean heritage and cultural traditions.
In the field of literature, Carmetta Gillespie (1898-1975) was an American writer and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of identity, social justice, and the experiences of African American women.
Moving further back in time, the name Carmetta can be traced to the 12th century, when a noblewoman named Carmetta de Montfort lived in England and was renowned for her charitable works and patronage of religious institutions.
Finally, in the 5th century AD, there are records of a Christian martyr named Carmetta who was persecuted and executed for her religious beliefs during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
People
Carmetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carmetta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Carmetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carmetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carmetta going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Carmetta a common name?
We classify Carmetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carmetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Carmetta was 1919, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carmetta is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Carmetta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Carmetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carmetta in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Carmetta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Carmetta in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Carmetta can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Carmetta?
You can see how many people share the name Carmetta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.