Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee, and then by two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born Maria) and Carmen Electra (born Tara),as well as the great jazz singer Carmen McRae.

Carmen Cortez is a character from the Spy Kids trilogy, Carmen Lowell appears in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, Carmen de la Pica Morales was a character on The L Word, and Carmen Sandiego is the bad guy in the Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? franchise.

In the Latin community, Carmen is also used as a male name.