Carmilla

Meaning & origin

Carmilla is a literary name that carries an air of Gothic mystery, first introduced in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 vampire novella of the same name. The name first appeared in U.S. Social Security data in 1915, and experienced its peak popularity in 1921, likely influenced by the 1927 film adaptation. After a long period of obscurity, it has been rising again since 2020, reflecting a growing interest in vintage and literary names. As of 2025, it ranks 13,208, with approximately 1 in every 267,878 female births. Its revival aligns with broader trends favoring dark, romantic names from 19th-century literature. The name is most commonly spelled as Carmilla, though variant spellings like Carmila and Carmillah exist. Its origins are rooted in the literary tradition, and it remains a distinctive choice with a hauntingly beautiful sound.

Carmilla first appeared as the name of a female vampire in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 Gothic novella Carmilla, which predates Bram Stoker's Dracula. The name may have been coined by Le Fanu as a feminine form of Carmillo or as a variant of Camilla. Its use as a given name in the United States dates to the early 20th century, with a notable peak in the 1920s following the release of the 1927 film adaptation of the novella.