Fun Facts About the Name Carmichael
- 248 babies named Carmichael: U.S. records list 248 babies given the name Carmichael from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Carmichael Mean?
Carmichael is a Scottish place name and surname used as a given name, and it means "fort of Michael," from Scottish Gaelic. It comes from the village of Carmichael in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and its usual explanation is Gaelic cathair, "fort" (a word also applied to a monastic settlement), joined to the personal name Mìcheal, that is, Michael the archangel. The first element is not settled: some accounts take it from a cairn, and others from the Brittonic caer, "fort," which would reach a similar sense by a different route. The second element, the name Michael, is not in dispute.
Carmichael Name History & Origins
The name belongs first to the parish and village of Carmichael in the Clyde valley of Lanarkshire, an area where Gaelic and the earlier Brittonic speech of southern Scotland overlapped. By the thirteenth century a family holding those lands was using Carmichael as a surname, and place and family appear together in medieval Scottish records. A traditional account says an ancestor saved a Scottish king from a wild boar and was granted the lands in reward; this is legend rather than documented history.
From Scotland the surname spread into England and, with Scottish settlement, into Ulster and later North America. As a first name, Carmichael is a transferred surname, uncommon and found mainly in the English-speaking world.
How Popular is the Name Carmichael?
Carmichael has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2012. Its best rank was #3,236 in 1955.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,058 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #11,049 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #11,095 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #12,451 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #9,740 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #12,469 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #12,481 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #11,003 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #8,256 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #10,937 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #6,369 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #11,044 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #8,418 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #12,658 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #10,876 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #8,412 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #11,635 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #10,920 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #8,857 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #8,629 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,248 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #4,807 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #5,908 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #5,707 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #5,847 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #4,913 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #4,618 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,277 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,411 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #4,556 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,010 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #3,414 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #4,041 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,589 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,236 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,477 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Carmichael Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Carmichael's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Carmichael's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.