Find out how popular the first name Carmichael has been for the last 48 years (from 1976 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Carmichael by gender

Based on the last 48 years of data, Carmichael is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 6 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Carmichael.

The history of the first name Carmichael

Carmichael is a Scottish surname that has origins dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "cair" meaning "fort" and "mhicheil" meaning "Michael", likely referring to an ancient fort dedicated to St. Michael. The name was initially found in areas such as Fife and Perthshire.

While primarily used as a surname, Carmichael has also been adopted as a masculine given name in English-speaking countries. Its earliest recorded use as a first name can be traced back to the 16th century.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the first name Carmichael was Carmichael Ferrall, an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the 18th century (1693-1777). In the field of mathematics, Carmichael numbers, which are a special type of composite numbers, are named after American mathematician Robert Daniel Carmichael (1879-1967), who made significant contributions to number theory.

Other historical figures with the first name Carmichael include Carmichael Smith (1859-1922), a Scottish painter known for his landscapes and portraits, and Carmichael Smyth (1843-1924), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Cambridge University.

In literature, Carmichael Lushington (1832-1901) was a British civil servant and poet who wrote several volumes of poetry during the Victorian era. Additionally, Carmichael Tilley (1892-1942) was an American actor and theater director who worked in both Broadway productions and Hollywood films in the early 20th century.

While Carmichael has been used as a first name throughout history, its roots can be traced back to its Scottish surname origins, reflecting a connection to an ancient fort and the name Michael, which was likely a dedication to the archangel.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Carmichael was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carmichael, please contact us.

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