Fun Facts About the Name Carmilla
- 451 babies named Carmilla: U.S. records list 451 babies given the name Carmilla from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Carmilla Mean?
Carmilla is a feminine given name usually derived from the Hebrew place name Karmel (כַּרְמֶל), the name of Mount Carmel. Karmel is commonly translated "garden," "orchard," or "vineyard," and is often analyzed as Hebrew kerem (כֶּרֶם, "vineyard") plus el (אֵל, "God"), giving the literal sense "vineyard of God." The Italian and Spanish feminine name Carmela, from the masculine Carmelo (Carmel), is the usual immediate source. Carmilla is generally treated as a variant or elaboration of Carmela, with the Romance ending -illa functioning as a feminine form rather than adding a new meaning. Because karmel may simply mean "orchard" or "fertile land," the "vineyard of God" explanation is traditional rather than certain. Carmilla is unrelated to the similar-looking Camilla, which has a separate and uncertain origin.
Carmilla Name History & Origins
The root of Carmilla is the Hebrew place name Karmel (כַּרְמֶל), Mount Carmel, which appears in the Hebrew Bible and is closely associated with the prophet Elijah. In the Middle Ages, the Carmelite order took its name from Mount Carmel, and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel helped spread the name Carmel in Catholic Europe. From Carmel came the masculine Carmelo and the feminine Carmela, used chiefly in Italy and Spain. Carmilla belongs to this group of Carmel-derived names; its ending -illa is a Romance feminine form, and many references list it as a variant of Carmela rather than as an independent ancient name. The name is also famous from Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 Gothic novella Carmilla, in which the title character is a vampire and the name is an anagram of Mircalla. That literary association is well known, but the exact date and route by which Carmilla entered independent use are not well documented.
How Popular is the Name Carmilla?
Carmilla 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 1921. Its best rank was #2,394 in 1921.
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 | #13,528 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #9,025 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #9,743 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #11,403 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #14,492 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #16,754 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #14,863 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #17,073 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #11,057 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #12,027 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #13,288 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #9,402 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,454 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #6,668 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #5,725 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #10,493 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #9,387 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #10,641 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #10,598 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #7,402 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #4,688 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1976 | #6,699 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #5,580 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1974 | #8,946 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #4,912 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #5,149 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #5,601 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #5,101 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #5,508 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #4,072 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #5,876 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #6,643 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #5,057 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,581 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #4,916 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #5,361 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,486 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #4,972 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #4,202 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #4,417 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #5,766 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #4,173 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #5,507 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #5,332 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #4,822 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1944 | #4,125 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1942 | #4,709 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1936 | #3,759 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #4,503 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #4,666 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1928 | #4,266 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #3,089 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1923 | #2,755 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1922 | #3,189 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1921 | #2,394 | 15 | 0.0012% |
| 1919 | #3,512 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #4,693 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,066 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1915 | #3,851 | 6 | 0.0006% |
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 Carmilla 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 find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Carmilla's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Carmilla's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.