Carmina
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "song" or "poem".
Name Census estimates that about 1,108 living Americans carry the first name Carmina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carmina today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carmina births was 1994 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carmina. 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.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 309,345 Americans
Peak year
1994
38 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,026
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Carmina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carmina from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 229 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carmina 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 Carmina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carminas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Carmina, while Illinois, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 132 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carmina
The name Carmina has its origins in Latin, deriving from the word "carmen" which means "song" or "poem." The earliest known use of the name dates back to ancient Rome, where it was given to girls born into artistic or poetic families.
During the Roman Empire, the name Carmina was associated with the Muses, the goddesses of arts and sciences in Greek mythology. It was believed that girls bearing this name would be blessed with artistic talents and creativity.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Carmina can be found in the works of the renowned Roman poet Ovid, who lived from 43 BC to 17 AD. He mentioned a character named Carmina in his famous work "Metamorphoses."
In the 4th century AD, there was a Christian martyr named Carmina who was executed during the Diocletian persecution for refusing to renounce her faith. She is revered as a saint in some Christian traditions.
During the Renaissance period, the name Carmina gained popularity among artists and intellectuals. One notable figure was Carmina Burana, a German author and poet who lived in the 13th century. Her name was derived from the Latin phrase "carmina burana," meaning "songs from Benediktbeuern," referring to a collection of medieval poems and songs.
In the 16th century, Carmina Phillipica was an Italian painter known for her religious artwork and portraits. She was active in the city of Urbino and is considered one of the earliest known female artists of the Renaissance.
Another historical figure with the name Carmina was Carmina Gadelica, a Scottish poet and folklorist who lived in the late 19th century. She is renowned for her work in preserving and documenting Scottish Gaelic folklore and oral traditions.
Throughout history, the name Carmina has been associated with creativity, artistic expression, and a love for literature and poetry. Its Latin roots and cultural significance have made it a timeless and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with a rich heritage.
People
Carmina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carmina 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
Carmina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carmina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,108 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carmina 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 309,345 US residents.
Is Carmina a common name?
We classify Carmina as "Rare". It ranks above 90.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,312 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carmina most popular?
The single biggest year for Carmina was 1994, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carmina is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carmina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carmina 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.
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.