Carnelius
A masculine name derived from the Latin "cornelius", meaning "horn" or "horny".
Name Census estimates that about 89 living Americans carry the first name Carnelius. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Carnelius today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carnelius births was 1980 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carnelius. 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 Carnelius. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
89
~ 1 in 3,851,172 Americans
Peak year
1980
9 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2009 SSA rank
#11,223
Tracked since 1944
Popularity
Carnelius: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carnelius from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 42 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carnelius 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 Carnelius 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 Carnelius
The given name Carnelius has its origins in Latin, deriving from the word "carnalis," which means "fleshly" or "carnal." It likely emerged during the Roman Empire era, though its exact roots are unclear.
In ancient Rome, the name may have held connotations related to physical or earthly attributes, potentially signifying a connection to the material world or sensual pleasures. However, records of its use during this period are scarce.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the 6th century AD, when Carnelius Maximus, a Roman philosopher and theologian, wrote extensively on the nature of the soul and its relationship to the body. His works influenced the development of Christian thought during the Middle Ages.
In the 9th century, Carnelius Crassus, a Frankish nobleman and military leader, played a pivotal role in defending the Carolingian Empire against Viking invasions. His exploits were chronicled in contemporary accounts, contributing to the preservation of the name.
During the Renaissance, Carnelius Agrippa (1486-1535), a German polymath, gained renown for his scholarly pursuits in fields ranging from occult philosophy to legal theory. His controversial writings on magic and the supernatural sparked heated debates among intellectuals of the time.
In the 17th century, Carnelius van der Gracht (1615-1678), a Dutch artist, became renowned for his exquisite landscape paintings, which captured the beauty of the Dutch countryside with remarkable attention to detail.
Another notable figure bearing the name was Carnelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877), an American business magnate and philanthropist. He amassed a vast fortune through his successful ventures in shipping and railroads, leaving a lasting impact on the transportation industry and the American economy.
While the name Carnelius has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and eras, each leaving their mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human endeavor.
People
Carnelius + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carnelius 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
Carnelius: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carnelius?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 89 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carnelius 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 3,851,172 US residents.
Is Carnelius a common name?
We classify Carnelius as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 95 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carnelius most popular?
The single biggest year for Carnelius was 1980, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carnelius is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carnelius a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carnelius in the SSA data are male. 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.