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At a Glance: Name: Camellia – Origin: Latin (botanical name) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: kuh-MEEL-yah
Camellia is a girl's name with a Latin botanical origin, taken straight from the camellia flower. It's often said the flower (and so the name) was named by Linnaeus after botanist Georg Joseph Kamel, but that story isn't independently confirmed, and no meaning for the name itself exists — so it's best treated as an open question rather than a settled fact. Pronounced kuh-MEEL-yah (IPA /kəˈmiːljə/), it fits a boho, free-spirited, outdoorsy, nature-inspired style.
Meaning & Origin of Camellia
Origin: Latin (botanical name).
A common claim: It's often repeated that the camellia flower (and so the name) was named by Linnaeus after botanist Georg Joseph Kamel. Actually: There's no reliable evidence for this origin story, and no meaning is known for the name Camellia itself.
How to Pronounce Camellia
Phonetic: kuh-MEEL-yah IPA: /kəˈmiːljə/
Popularity of Camellia
Camellia has never cracked the top 1,000 in Social Security data going back to 1921: its best showing was #1387 in 1948, when 44 babies got the name, and in 2024 it sat at #1539 with 138 babies — a rare name that's actually seeing more use now than at its old peak.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1921–2024.
Make Camellia Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Camellia, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Camellia mean?
It’s often repeated that the camellia flower (and so the name) was named by Linnaeus after botanist Georg Joseph Kamel. There’s no reliable evidence for this origin story, and no meaning is known for the name Camellia itself.
How do you pronounce Camellia?
Camellia is pronounced kuh-MEEL-yah (IPA: /kəˈmiːljə/).
Is Camellia a popular name right now?
Camellia is near its all-time peak (#1387 in 1948), ranked #1539 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1921–2024.)
📊 How popular is Camellia? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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