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

Caraza, 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 Caraza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caraza in America

Caraza is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caraza surname appeared 210 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 Caraza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caraza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Caraza

The surname Caraza is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "caraza," which means "mask" or "visor." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who made or wore masks or visors, perhaps in a military or theatrical context.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Caraza name can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias, a medieval Spanish census document from the late 13th century. This record mentions a certain Pedro Caraza, who lived in the region of Castile during that time.

In the 15th century, the Caraza family was established in the town of Montilla, located in the province of Córdoba, Andalusia. Records from this period indicate that a branch of the family held land and property in the area, suggesting they were of noble or influential status.

During the 16th century, the Caraza name appeared in various historical documents related to the Spanish conquest of the Americas. For example, Juan de Caraza was a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.

Another notable figure from this era was Cristóbal Caraza de la Vega (1516-1592), a Spanish poet and dramatist who was born in Toledo and became known for his religious and satirical works.

In the 17th century, the Caraza name gained prominence in the field of art and architecture. Juan de Caraza (1592-1666) was a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in Madrid and is known for his contributions to the Baroque style.

Later, in the 18th century, there was a notable military figure named José de Caraza y Muñoz (1712-1786), who served as a captain-general in the Spanish Army and played a role in the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

Throughout its history, the Caraza surname has been present in various regions of Spain, including Castile, Andalusia, and Madrid. While the name has maintained a relatively low frequency compared to more common Spanish surnames, it has persisted over several centuries and continues to be associated with notable individuals from different walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caraza

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

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 Caraza 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Caraza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Caraza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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