2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Caravana
A surname relating to a caravan or traveling vehicle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Caravana. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caravana 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Caravana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caravana, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.0%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caravana
The surname Caravana has its roots in the Italian language, originating from the region of Tuscany during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "caravana," which means "caravan" or a group of travelers or merchants journeying together.
In those times, it was common for surnames to be based on occupations or distinguishing characteristics, and the name Caravana may have been given to individuals who were involved in the caravan trade or were members of a traveling merchant community. The name's association with caravans suggests a possible connection to trade routes and the movement of goods across the Italian peninsula and beyond.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the city of Siena, dated around 1380, which mentions a certain "Giacomo Caravana." This suggests that the name was already in use by that time in the region of Tuscany.
During the Renaissance period, the name appears in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly those related to commerce and trade. One notable example is a merchant named Pietro Caravana, born in Florence in 1492, who was involved in the silk trade with the Ottoman Empire.
In the 16th century, the Caravana family established itself in the city of Pisa, where they became prominent citizens and merchants. A church record from 1567 mentions the marriage of Giulio Caravana and Lucrezia Borghesi, indicating the family's presence in the area.
Throughout the centuries, the name Caravana has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Francesco Caravana, a renowned painter from Venice, who lived from 1595 to 1670 and was known for his religious and mythological works.
Another notable figure was Alessandro Caravana, an Italian mathematician and astronomer born in 1715 in Padua. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Accademia dei Lincei.
In the 19th century, the Caravana family had a strong presence in the city of Naples, where they were involved in various industries and businesses. One member, Giuseppe Caravana, born in 1825, was a successful merchant and philanthropist who donated substantial funds for the construction of a hospital in the city.
Throughout its history, the surname Caravana has maintained a connection to its roots in the Italian language and its associations with trade, travel, and merchant activities. While its exact origins may be lost to time, the name continues to carry a rich heritage and a link to the vibrant cultural and commercial past of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caravana
Among Census respondents with the surname Caravana, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.0%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Caravana 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 Caravana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.0% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander18.0% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 7
- Two or more races7.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caravana
Caravana 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,696 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-9 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,696 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 5,230 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 Caravana 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 | #150,452 | #155,682 | -3.5% |
| Count | 109 | 100 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caravana bearers went from 109 to 100 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 5,230 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #155,682.
FAQ
Caravana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caravana?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Caravana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Caravana?
Caravana ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Caravana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Caravana.
Has Caravana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caravana went from 109 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Caravana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caravana, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.0%) and Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Caravana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.0% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caravana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (18.0%), Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Caravana (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 Caravana mean?
A surname relating to a caravan or traveling vehicle. 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 Caravana (0.03 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 Caravana?
Want to know how many people have the last name Caravana? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.