2000
#44,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 457
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Caratachea
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "plant with hooked thorns".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 708 Americans carry the last name Caratachea. That puts it at #38,609 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 484,116 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caratachea 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
708
1 in 484,116
Census rank
#38,609
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
617
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 617 bearers of the surname Caratachea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38609th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caratachea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caratachea
The surname CARATACHEA is believed to have originated in the region of Galicia, Spain, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "caratus," meaning "beloved" or "dear," and the Spanish word "achea," which refers to a small plot of land or a homestead.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CARATACHEA surname can be found in the Libro de Vecindario de Galicia, a census-like record of households in Galicia from the late 15th century. This document mentions a family with the surname CARATACHEA residing in the town of Pontevedra.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Rodrigo CARATACHEA was noted for his contributions to the development of viticulture in the Ribeiro region of Galicia. He is credited with introducing new techniques for cultivating and producing high-quality wines, which significantly influenced the local wine industry.
During the 17th century, the CARATACHEA surname gained recognition through the works of the poet and playwright Alonso CARATACHEA, who was born in Santiago de Compostela in 1612 and died in 1684. His plays and poems, which often depicted the rural life and traditions of Galicia, were highly acclaimed and widely performed throughout Spain.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the CARATACHEA surname was Juan CARATACHEA, a military officer who fought in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He was born in Ourense, Galicia, in 1725 and participated in several campaigns against indigenous populations in present-day Mexico and Guatemala.
Another individual of note was María CARATACHEA, a renowned educator and advocate for women's education in the 19th century. Born in Vigo, Galicia, in 1832, she established one of the first schools for girls in the region and dedicated her life to promoting literacy and educational opportunities for women.
While the CARATACHEA surname is still present in parts of Spain, particularly in the Galicia region, it is not among the most common surnames in the country today. However, its origins and historical significance remain an integral part of the region's cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caratachea
Among Census respondents with the surname Caratachea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Caratachea 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 Caratachea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.9% · 573
- White6.0% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Two or more races0.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caratachea
Caratachea 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
#36,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 604
+147 bearers (+32.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 7,380 places
2020
#38,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 617
+13 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,639 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,350 | 457 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,970 | 604 | 0.20 | +147 bearers (+32.2%) | Up 7,380 places |
| 2020 | #38,609 | 617 | 0.21 | +13 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 1,639 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 Caratachea 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 | #36,970 | #38,609 | -4.4% |
| Count | 604 | 617 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.21 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caratachea bearers went from 604 to 617 (+2.2% change). The surname moved down 1,639 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,970 to #38,609.
FAQ
Caratachea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caratachea?
Name Census estimates that about 708 living Americans carry the surname Caratachea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 484,116 residents.
How common is Caratachea?
Caratachea ranks #38,609 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 617 people with the surname Caratachea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (708), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Caratachea.
Has Caratachea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caratachea went from 604 recorded bearers to 617. That is an increase of 13 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,970 to #38,609.
What does the Census say about the background of Caratachea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caratachea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caratachea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (573 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caratachea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.9%), White (6.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Caratachea (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 Caratachea mean?
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "plant with hooked thorns". 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 Caratachea (0.21 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 many people have the last name Caratachea?
See how many people have the surname Caratachea on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.