Carmel vs May
Carmel and Maycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Carmel was ranked #896 and May #402 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Carmel was ranked #3318 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Carmel and May over time
Carmel and May appear together in 2 published lists, across 46 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Carmel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and May in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Carmel and May changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1967 and 2015, ending at #896 and #402.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Carmel #26 in 1967, May #315 in 1967.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Carmel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, May in 28.
Highest recorded here: Carmel #955 in 1998, May #325 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Carmel #3318, May #610.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1967–2015
Carmel held the stronger position in 14 of those years, May in 4.
Highest recorded here: Carmel #26 in 1967, May #315 in 1967.
The order changed in 2015: May moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #612 and #677; by 2015 that had become #896 and #402.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Carmel #896, May #402.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Carmel | May |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) | Norway · Girls #481 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Carmel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Carmel
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #85 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2015
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls