I really like the name Carmel. As a Catholic, I think this is a great way of honouring Our Lady. I associate this name very much with caramel, so it sounds very sweet to me. It almost tastes like caramel-flavoured hard candy to me, haha. I also associate it with monasteries and with nuns (probably because of Mount Carmel and carmelites). I think it has a lovely meaning and is a nice alternative to obvious flower or other plant names for those who are into nature names. It feels very unique to me as I rarely hear it. It's also a very rare name over here in Poland, including its variants. I met a little girl named Karmela (not sure about the spelling) as a little kid and was in awe of how beautiful and rare this name was. I also know other people with related names but they're from Mediterranean countries.
I think of Carmel as an Irish (in Ireland, not Irish-American) name, for women born in the 1940s-1960s. Maeve Binchy had characters named Carmel in some of her novels. I grew up Catholic in the U.S. yet I have never met anyone named Carmel. I've known a couple of Italian-American women named Carmella, though. And there are a lot of parishes & schools called Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the U.S.
― Anonymous User 10/18/2018
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My name is Carmel Anne. I have a very low voice and sometimes when I'm being introduced to a new person they don't hear the "l" in my name and they say "Carmen" so I usually say my name is car-MEL. I grew up with the pronunciation KAHR-mal and go by both names today.