Carnell
Feminine · “from Cornell or Carnell”
Carnell is given to both — 546 girls and 4,618 boys since 1880. See Carnell as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Carnell is a two-syllable name close to Cornell and to Carl with an ending, given mostly to boys and to a real minority of girls. It has a firm, confident sound.
How old is the name Carnell?
Carnell first appears in US birth records in 1913 — 112 years ago. The typical Carnell alive today was born around 1935, making them about 90 years old. About 200 people named Carnell are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Carnell most popular?
Carnell peaked in 1923, reaching #1736 nationally. See the whole 1923 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Cornell / Carl to Carnell
The story of Carnell
Ezra Cornell made a fortune in the telegraph business, helped found Western Union, and then gave it to found a university in upstate New York under a motto of startling breadth for its day: an institution where any person can find instruction in any study. Carnell sounds almost the same, and in the American record it may be that surname or a build on Carl with the -ell ending of Darnell. The record does not separate them.
Meaningscholars disagree
from Cornell or Carnell, English surnames
Carnell and Cornell are English surnames, perhaps from place-names or from an old personal name; their origin is not settled. As a first name Carnell may also be a build on Carl with the -ell ending.
How the name formed
- Cornell / Carl
- Carnell
Pronouncing Carnell
kar-NEL
Most families stress the second syllable. Some say KAR-nel.
Nicknames for Carnell
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1913
- Most girls named
- 192324 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1736reached in 1923
- Change vs 1966
- +14.3%8 in 1967, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Carnells among us
people named Carnell are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Carnell sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It has a strong, clear sound.
- It works for a boy or a girl.
- People will write Cornell or Carnel.
- Most children given it are boys; a girl named Carnell may be taken for a boy on paper.
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What they receive
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Carnell
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Carnells are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 200 people named Carnell are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Carnell in 2025?
- Carnell is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Carnell with classmates?
- Carnell will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Carol#2239 · Cynthia#1013 · Catherine#313 · Christine#1272 · Carolyn#1222 · Christina#770 · Charlotte#2 · Cheryl#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Carnell? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Carnell and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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