Girl · #4,053 in 2026

Carnation

Name: Popularity of the name Carnation in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Carnation, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#4,053

Peak Rank

#3,512 (1918)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1918

First Year

1929

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#3512

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Carnation

The earliest SSA record of Carnation as a baby girl name dates back to 1918, when 8 babies received it. 1918 was its biggest year on record, with 8 newborns named Carnation — #3,512 in the national rankings. About 78% of every Carnation on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Carnation last appeared in the published SSA data in 1929, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 37 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Carnation

Phonetically similar names — useful when Carnation is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Carnations
Connation
Coronation
Cornichon
Cognation
Conation
Tarnation
Creation
Cognition
Incarnation
Croatian
Carbonation

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Carnation

What does the name Carnation mean?

Carnation is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1918. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Carnation in 2026?

In 2026, Carnation ranks #4,053 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Carnation most popular?

Carnation reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #3,512 that year with 8 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Carnation most popular?

Carnation has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Carnation.

Is Carnation a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Carnation is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Carnation?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Carnation include Docie, Ludia, Chloa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Carnation

Carnation is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 37 births in the dataset. Carnation's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #3,512. Use the chart and map above to compare Carnation's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.