Hannah Girl
HA-nuh
“grace, favor” · Hebrew
#56
Camellia
GirlLatin· “the camellia flower”
- Meaning
- the camellia flower
- Origin
- Latin
- Pronunciation
- kuh-MEEL-yuh
- Syllables
- 3
- US rank 2025
- #1,676
- US babies 2025
- 123
- Best rank
- #1,387 (1948)
- Peak year
- 2024
Meaning and origin of Camellia
Camellia is a Latin name that means “the camellia flower”.
Camellia is the name of a flowering shrub prized for its glossy leaves and rose-like blooms. The plant genus was named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of Georg Joseph Kamel, a seventeenth-century Jesuit botanist whose name was latinized as Camellus. The tea plant also belongs to this genus. As a given name, Camellia has been used in English since the nineteenth century, when flower names became fashionable. It is usually said kuh-MEEL-yuh, though kuh-MEL-ee-uh is also heard. The name is related in sound to Camilla and Camille, and it offers the nickname Cam or Millie.
Popularity over time
Camellia first appears in US Social Security records in 1921. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #1,387 in 1948, and the most babies received it in 2024, when 138 were named Camellia. In 2025, 123 babies were named Camellia, and it ranked #1,676 nationally. That is 84% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #1,604 in 1950, #3,076 in 1980, #5,176 in 2000, #5,007 in 2010, and #1,676 in 2025. Of the 3,347 US girls named Camellia since records began, 21% were born in the 2020s, its biggest decade. The 2010s come next, with 664 babies.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Nour, Laya, Eloisa, Lotus, and Aashvi.
Where it is most popular (2025)
In 2025, Camellia ranked highest in Washington, California, and Ohio.
| State | Rank there | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | #945 | 6 |
| California | #1156 | 22 |
| Ohio | #1498 | 5 |
| New York | #1552 | 8 |
| Texas | #1638 | 14 |
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Camellia is usually pronounced kuh-MEEL-yuh, with three syllables. It has eight letters, starts with C and ends in “-ia”.
Middle names for Camellia
A few middle names that flow with Camellia: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Camellia
Similar names
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mag-NOHL-yuh
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vihk-TOR-ee-uh
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uh-LIV-ee-uh
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DAL-yuh
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ih-MEE-lee-uh
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aw-REEL-yuh
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Lists that include Camellia
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Camellia mean?
Camellia is a Latin name that means “the camellia flower”.
What is the origin of the name Camellia?
Camellia has Latin roots. Camellia is the name of a flowering shrub prized for its glossy leaves and rose-like blooms.
Is Camellia a popular name?
Not especially. Camellia ranked #1,676 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Camellia a boy or girl name?
Camellia is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Camellia?
Camellia is usually pronounced kuh-MEEL-yuh. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings