Girl · #10,911 in 2026

Carnita

Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", in Mexican cuisine, is a dish made by braising, simmering and frying pork in lard, its own fat, or cooking oil. The name "carnitas" is, historically, the colloquial name given in Mexico for the French dish rillons de Tours, also known in Spanish as chicharrón de Tours.

Current Rank
#10,911
Peak Rank
#5,413 (1970)
Total Babies
55
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1956
First Year
1986
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#5413
Peak Rank
55
Total Count
10
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Carnita

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", in Mexican cuisine, is a dish made by braising, simmering and frying pork in lard, its own fat, or cooking oil. The name "carnitas" is, historically, the colloquial name given in Mexico for the French dish rillons de Tours, also known in Spanish as chicharrón de Tours.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Carnitas originate from a traditional French dish that was introduced to Mexico via Spain. According to Mariano Galvan Rivera's cookbook – Diccionario de cocina (1845) – "carnitas" was the vulgar name given by Mexico's lower classes to the dish known as "Chicharrones de Tours", and were specifically made and sold in working class neighborhood slaughterhouses or pork shops: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{pa

The Story of Carnita

Carnita first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1956, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 9 Carnitas were born — ranking #5,413 that year. As of 2026, Carnita ranks #10,911 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 55 Carnitas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Carnita

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Carnita

What does the name Carnita mean?
Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", in Mexican cuisine, is a dish made by braising, simmering and frying pork in lard, its own fat, or cooking oil. The name "carnitas" is, historically, the colloquial name given in Mexico for the French dish rillons de Tours, also known in Spanish as chicharrón de Tours.
How popular is Carnita in 2026?
In 2026, Carnita ranks #10,911 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Carnita most popular?
Carnita reached its peak popularity in 1970, ranking #5,413 that year with 9 babies given the name.
Is Carnita a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Carnita is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Carnita?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Carnita include Ianthe, Wendalyn, Theresaann. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Ianthe
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Wendalyn
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Theresaann
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Tancy
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Mlissa
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Franchelle
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Janmarie
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Lezette
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About the name Carnita

Carnita is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 55 births in the dataset. Carnita's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #5,413. Use the chart and map above to compare Carnita'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.