Carmen

Carmen steps out of Bizet's opera in a red dress, defiant and unforgettable. The name has two pedigrees braided together: the Latin carmen meaning song or poem, and the Spanish devotional title Our Lady of Mount Carmel, shortened over generations into a beloved given name across the Spanish-speaking world. It suits writers and flamenco dancers alike, from Miranda to Electra. In the U.S. Carmen holds steady in the 400s, a Mediterranean classic that refuses to fade. Two syllables, equally stressed, both vowels warm. There is smoke and grace in it, a confidence that doesn't ask permission.