2000
#2,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.56
Uncommon Last name
Carbajal
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Carbajal in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,353 Americans carry the last name Carbajal. That puts it at #1,648 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carbajal 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
24K
1 in 14,074
Census rank
#1,648
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,237 bearers of the surname Carbajal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1648th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbajal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carbajal
The surname Carbajal is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the word "carbajo," which refers to a type of oak tree commonly found in the Iberian Peninsula. The name likely originated in regions where these oak trees were abundant, such as Castile, León, and Extremadura.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carbajal can be found in the medieval Becerro de las Behetrías, a historical document compiled in the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Carbajal living in the village of Carbajal de la Legua, located in the province of León.
During the 15th century, the Carbajal family gained prominence in Castile, with several members holding influential positions in the court of King Juan II. One notable figure was Andrés de Carbajal (1400-1460), a diplomat and military commander who served as a knight in the Order of Santiago.
In the 16th century, the name Carbajal appeared in various historical records, including the Chronicles of the Conquest of Mexico. Hernando de Carbajal (1499-1552) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro and later became a renowned military strategist.
Another prominent figure with the surname Carbajal was Baltasar de Carbajal (1515-1592), a Spanish theologian and bishop of Segovia. He played a significant role in the Council of Trent, a pivotal event in the Catholic Counter-Reformation.
The Carbajal family also had a presence in the New World, with several members settling in various Spanish colonies. One notable example is Juan de Carbajal (1612-1682), a Spanish soldier and explorer who served as the governor of New Mexico from 1659 to 1665.
Throughout history, the Carbajal surname has been associated with various noble families and individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as military, religion, and exploration. While the name has evolved over time, its roots can be traced back to the oak-rich regions of the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carbajal
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbajal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Carbajal 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 Carbajal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.9% · 19,939
- White4.4% · 941
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 157
- Black or African American0.4% · 86
- Two or more races0.3% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carbajal
Carbajal 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
#1,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,838
+6,845 bearers (+45.7%)
Per 100,000 7.40
Rank movement Up 578 places
2020
#1,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,237
-601 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 7.11
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,224 | 14,993 | 5.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,646 | 21,838 | 7.40 | +6,845 bearers (+45.7%) | Up 578 places |
| 2020 | #1,648 | 21,237 | 7.11 | -601 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 2 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 Carbajal 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 | #1,646 | #1,648 | -0.1% |
| Count | 21,838 | 21,237 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.40 | 7.11 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carbajal bearers went from 21,838 to 21,237 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,646 to #1,648.
FAQ
Carbajal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carbajal?
Name Census estimates that about 24,353 living Americans carry the surname Carbajal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,074 residents.
How common is Carbajal?
Carbajal ranks #1,648 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,237 people with the surname Carbajal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Carbajal.
Has Carbajal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carbajal went from 21,838 recorded bearers to 21,237. That is a decrease of 601 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,646 to #1,648.
What does the Census say about the background of Carbajal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbajal, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Carbajal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (19,939 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carbajal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.9%), White (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Carbajal (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 Carbajal mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Carbajal in Spain. 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 Carbajal (7.11 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 share the surname Carbajal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.