Sophia Girl
soh-FEE-uh
“wisdom” · Greek
#5
Carmelita
GirlSpanish, Hebrew· “little Carmel, garden”
- Meaning
- little Carmel, garden
- Origin
- Spanish, Hebrew
- Pronunciation
- kahr-muh-LEE-tuh
- Syllables
- 4
- US rank 2025
- #7,566
- US babies 2025
- 14
- Best rank
- #664 (1930)
- Peak year
- 1973
Meaning and origin of Carmelita
Carmelita is a Spanish and Hebrew name that means “little Carmel, garden”.
Carmelita is a Spanish diminutive of Carmela and Carmen, names that honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is a mountain range in northern Israel whose Hebrew name, Karmel, means garden or orchard. It was a sacred place in the Bible, and the Carmelite religious order took its name from it. Carmelita has been used for generations in Spain, Mexico and the Philippines, and it spread in the US through Hispanic and Italian American communities. It is said kahr-meh-LEE-tah in Spanish and kahr-muh-LEE-tuh in English. Lita, Carmen and Mela are traditional short forms.
Popularity over time
Carmelita first appears in US Social Security records in 1887. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 43 different years, starting in 1887. Its best national rank was #664 in 1930, and the most babies received it in 1973, when 140 were named Carmelita. In 2025, 14 babies were named Carmelita, and it ranked #7,566 nationally. That is 27% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #1,007 in 1920, #978 in 1950, #1,398 in 1980, #4,815 in 2000, #7,280 in 2010, and #7,566 in 2025. Of the 6,965 US girls named Carmelita since records began, 14% were born in the 1950s, its biggest decade. The 1970s come next, with 968 babies. Since 2010, 210 more have been named Carmelita.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Latrina, Consuela, Danyell, Keena, and Jenniffer.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Carmelita is usually pronounced kahr-muh-LEE-tuh, with four syllables. It has nine letters, starts with C and ends in “-ta”.
Middle names for Carmelita
A few middle names that flow with Carmelita: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Carmelita
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Lists that include Carmelita
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Carmelita mean?
Carmelita is a Spanish and Hebrew name that means “little Carmel, garden”.
What is the origin of the name Carmelita?
Carmelita has Spanish and Hebrew roots. Carmelita is a Spanish diminutive of Carmela and Carmen, names that honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Is Carmelita a popular name?
Not especially. Carmelita ranked #7,566 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Carmelita a boy or girl name?
Carmelita is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Carmelita?
Carmelita is usually pronounced kahr-muh-LEE-tuh. 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