Caro
Caro is a feminine name of Italian origin meaning "dear" or "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 85 living Americans carry the first name Caro. It is a predominantly female name (98.2% of registrations). The average person named Caro today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caro births was 1953 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caro. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Caro is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Caros were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Caro. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
85
~ 1 in 4,032,404 Americans
Peak year
1953
13 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1911 SSA rank
#1,779
Tracked since 1883
Census
Caro in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 811 people with the first name Caro, which placed it at #14,514 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#14,514
National first-name rank
People counted
811
811 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
55.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caro
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Caro is White at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.4%) and Black (9.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Caro described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Caro at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.6% · 451
- Hispanic or Latino28.4% · 230
- Black or African American9.6% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 28
- Two or more races2.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Gender
Gender distribution for Caro
Caro leans heavily female at 98.2% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Caro as a male name
- Ranked #1,779 in 1911
- 5 male births in 1911
- Peak: 1911 (5 births)
Caro as a female name
- Ranked #6,887 in 1964
- 5 female births in 1964
- Peak: 1953 (13 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Caro leans strongly female. 717 people counted with this name were female (89.1%), compared with 88 male bearers (10.9%).
Popularity
Caro: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caro from the 1880s through to the 1960s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 58 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caro by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Caro during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Caros live
Origin
Meaning and history of Caro
The name Caro has its origins in the Latin language, where it was derived from the word "carus," meaning "dear" or "beloved." This name gained popularity during the Roman Empire, particularly in the regions of Italy and the broader Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Caro can be found in ancient Roman texts and inscriptions. It was a common name among the Roman aristocracy, indicating its widespread usage and acceptance during that era.
In the realm of historical figures, Caro was the name of a Roman poet who lived in the 1st century BC. Known for his elegiac poems, his works were highly regarded during his lifetime and were influential in shaping the literary landscape of the time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Caro, an Italian sculptor and architect from the 16th century (1507-1566). He was renowned for his work on the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, where he collaborated with the renowned artist and architect Michelangelo.
In the 17th century, Caro Maria Carducci (1669-1737) was an Italian painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy, showcasing his artistic talent and contribution to the Baroque period.
Moving forward, Caro Puede (1785-1853) was a Chilean military leader and politician who played a significant role in the Chilean War of Independence against Spanish rule. He served as the President of Chile from 1823 to 1827 and is recognized as a key figure in the country's struggle for independence.
In the realm of literature, Caro Venizelos (1870-1957) was a Greek writer and poet whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. He was a prominent figure in the Greek literary scene and is celebrated for his lyrical and introspective writing style.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Caro, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
People
Caro + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caro as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Caro: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caro?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 85 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caro going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,032,404 US residents.
Is Caro a common name?
We classify Caro as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 274 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caro most popular?
The single biggest year for Caro was 1953, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caro is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Caro in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 811 people with the name Caro, or 0.27 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,514 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Caro in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Caro?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Caro leans strongly female. 717 people counted with this name were female (89.1%), compared with 88 male bearers (10.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Caro?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Caro is White at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.4%) and Black (9.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Caro most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Caro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.6% (451 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Caro in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Caro a female name?
Yes, 98.2% of people registered as Caro in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Caro still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Caro in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Caro can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How common is the name Caro?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Caro at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.