Charmell
A female name derived from the French "charmant" meaning charming or delightful.
Name Census estimates that about 29 living Americans carry the first name Charmell. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Charmell today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charmell births was 1972 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charmell. 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 Charmell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
29
~ 1 in 11,819,115 Americans
Peak year
1972
8 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
1982 SSA rank
#10,764
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Charmell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charmell from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 21 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charmell 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 Charmell 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 Charmell
The name Charmell finds its origins in the French language, derived from the Old French word "charmel," which itself stems from the Latin word "carminus," meaning "song" or "melody." This linguistic lineage suggests that the name Charmell was initially associated with musical qualities or a melodious nature.
Historically, the name Charmell can be traced back to the Middle Ages in France, where it was used as a feminine name, possibly bestowed upon women with musical talents or captivating voices. Its earliest recorded use dates back to the 13th century, though it remained relatively uncommon until the Renaissance period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Charmell was a French troubadour and poet who lived in the late 12th century, known simply as Charmell of Provence. Her poetic works, though largely lost to time, were said to celebrate the joys of love and nature, reflecting the name's melodic connotations.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Charmell Delacroix (1523-1589) rose to prominence as a skilled lute player and composer in the court of King Henry II of France. Her musical compositions were widely admired and helped popularize the name among the French nobility.
During the 17th century, a French painter named Charmell Lefebvre (1638-1711) gained recognition for her portraits and landscapes, which often depicted scenes of rural life and the natural world. Her artistic works were said to possess a certain charm and lyrical quality, perhaps influenced by the meaning of her name.
In the 19th century, Charmell Devaux (1815-1892) was a renowned French opera singer who captivated audiences with her powerful and melodious voice. Her performances in various operas of the time earned her widespread acclaim and further solidified the name's association with music and enchantment.
While the name Charmell has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has maintained its connection to the qualities of melody, charm, and captivating allure, reflecting its linguistic roots and the historical figures who have borne this unique and melodious name.
People
Charmell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charmell 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
Charmell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charmell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 29 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charmell 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 11,819,115 US residents.
Is Charmell a common name?
We classify Charmell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 32 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charmell most popular?
The single biggest year for Charmell was 1972, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charmell is about 52 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 Charmell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Charmell a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charmell 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 Charmell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Charmell 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 Charmell 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 Charmell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.