Meaning: Its source is Carmel, a Hebrew name meaning "Orchard."

Languages: This boy's name is used in English and French.

Non-English Forms: Carmine

Popularity: The name Carmen ranked 651st in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: Though the derivation from the Hebrew original is clear, this name happens to coincide with the Latin word meaning ''song,'' and this has no doubt influenced the name's use.

Meaning: Its source is Carmel, a Hebrew name meaning "Orchard."

Languages: This girl's name is used in German, English, Italian and Spanish.

Nicknames: Carma, Carmi and Carmencita

Alternative Spellings: Carman, Carmin, Carmon, Carmynn, Karman, Karmen, Karmin and Karmyn

Variant Forms: Carmaine and Carmene

Non-English Forms: Carmina and Carmine

Popularity: The name Carmen ranked 266th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 111th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.

Narrative: Though the derivation from the Hebrew original is clear, this name happens to coincide with a Latin word meaning ''song,'' or ''poem,'' and this has no doubt influenced the name's use.