2000
#100,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Caran
The surname of Arabic origin referring to a horn blower or trumpeter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Caran. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caran surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Caran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caran, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caran
The surname CARAN is believed to have originated in the region of Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea that is now a part of Italy. The name is thought to have roots dating back to the 12th century, during the period of the Sardinian Judgeships.
The name CARAN is derived from the Sardinian word "cara," which means "face" or "countenance." It is speculated that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's distinctive facial features or appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CARAN can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the town of Oristano, which was once the capital of the Judicate of Arborea. The document mentions a certain "Giovanni Caran," who was a landowner and influential figure in the region.
In the 15th century, records show a branch of the CARAN family residing in the town of Bosa, located in the northwestern part of Sardinia. This branch produced several notable individuals, including Pietro CARAN (1430-1498), a respected scholar and theologian who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Sardinia.
During the 16th century, the CARAN name gained prominence in the city of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. One of the most notable figures from this era was Giulia CARAN (1522-1588), a skilled weaver and entrepreneur who established a successful textile business that employed numerous workers and contributed significantly to the local economy.
In the 18th century, a CARAN family migrated from Sardinia to the island of Corsica, where they established themselves in the town of Ajaccio. This branch produced several military officers, including Vincenzo CARAN (1725-1801), who served in the French army and played a role in the Corsican resistance against French occupation.
Another noteworthy individual with the CARAN surname was Antonio CARAN (1865-1935), a renowned painter and printmaker from Sardinia. His works, which often depicted scenes from Sardinian life and landscapes, gained international recognition and can be found in various museums and private collections around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caran
Among Census respondents with the surname Caran, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Caran bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Caran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino13.2% · 15
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caran
Caran appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
-27 bearers (-16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 22,870 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-26 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,431 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,194 | 167 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | -27 bearers (-16.2%) | Down 22,870 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 23,431 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Caran surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #123,064 | #146,495 | -19.0% |
| Count | 140 | 114 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caran bearers went from 140 to 114 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 23,431 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #146,495.
FAQ
Caran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caran?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Caran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Caran?
Caran ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Caran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Caran.
Has Caran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caran went from 140 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 26 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Caran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caran, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Black (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Hispanic (13.2%), Black (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Caran (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Caran mean?
The surname of Arabic origin referring to a horn blower or trumpeter. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Caran (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Caran?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Caran on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.