Find out how popular the last name Caraig is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Caraig.

Caraig, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Caraig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caraig in America

Caraig is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caraig surname appeared 107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Caraig.

The history of the last name Caraig

The surname CARAIG originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the Scottish surname Craig, which itself is derived from the Gaelic word "creag," meaning "rock" or "crag."

The CARAIG surname is primarily found in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. It is thought to have originated as a topographic name, given to individuals who lived near a prominent rock formation or craggy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CARAIG can be found in the Parish Registers of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, in 1595, where a certain John Caraig is mentioned. The name also appears in various Scottish court records and legal documents from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname CARAIG include:

1. James Caraig (1676-1740), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Minister of Tullibody Parish in Clackmannanshire.

2. Robert Caraig (1718-1788), a Scottish banker and merchant who co-founded the Ayr Bank in Ayrshire.

3. Mary Caraig (1761-1829), a Scottish writer and poet known for her romantic ballads and poems about nature.

4. William Caraig (1805-1875), a Scottish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Ayr Burghs constituency from 1852 to 1868.

5. John Caraig (1847-1919), a Scottish engineer and inventor who developed several innovations in the field of textile machinery.

While the CARAIG surname is relatively uncommon compared to its more widely known variant Craig, it has a rich history and strong ties to Scotland's cultural heritage, particularly in the western regions of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caraig

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Caraig.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Caraig was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Caraig was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Caraig, please contact us.

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