2000
#9,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Carbaugh
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "kar" meaning a cart or wagon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,478 Americans carry the last name Carbaugh. That puts it at #10,129 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,549 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carbaugh 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
3.5K
1 in 98,549
Census rank
#10,129
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,033 bearers of the surname Carbaugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10129th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carbaugh
The surname CARBAUGH is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, derived from the Old High German word "karr," meaning "wagon" or "cart," combined with the suffix "-baugh," which signifies a dweller or someone associated with a particular place or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CARBAUGH can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of documents dating back to the 12th century. The name appears as "Carrebog," which is thought to be a variation of the original spelling.
In the 14th century, a reference to a certain Johannes Carbaugh is documented in the town records of Nuremberg, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the region during that time period.
The surname CARBAUGH is also associated with various place names in Germany, such as Karrbach, a small village in the district of Ansbach, and Karrbacherhof, a hamlet near the city of Aschaffenburg. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Notable individuals with the surname CARBAUGH include:
1. Heinrich Carbaugh (1520-1591), a German clockmaker and inventor renowned for his innovative timepiece designs.
2. Anna Carbaugh (1638-1712), a prominent figure in the German Reformation movement, known for her contributions to religious literature and education.
3. Johann Carbaugh (1745-1823), a German composer and violinist who worked in the court of King Frederick II of Prussia.
4. Wilhelm Carbaugh (1825-1895), a German-American entrepreneur and industrialist who established a successful manufacturing company in Pennsylvania.
5. Erika Carbaugh (1906-1987), a renowned German physicist and one of the pioneers in the field of quantum mechanics.
Throughout its history, the surname CARBAUGH has undergone various spelling variations, such as Karrbagh, Carrebog, and Karrbach, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions within Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carbaugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Carbaugh 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 Carbaugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,797
- Two or more races3.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- Black or African American0.8% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carbaugh
Carbaugh 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
#10,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,184
+20 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 697 places
2020
#10,129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,033
-151 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,425 | 3,164 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,122 | 3,184 | 1.08 | +20 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 697 places |
| 2020 | #10,129 | 3,033 | 1.01 | -151 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 7 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 Carbaugh 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 | #10,122 | #10,129 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,184 | 3,033 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.01 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carbaugh bearers went from 3,184 to 3,033 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,122 to #10,129.
FAQ
Carbaugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carbaugh?
Name Census estimates that about 3,478 living Americans carry the surname Carbaugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,549 residents.
How common is Carbaugh?
Carbaugh ranks #10,129 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,033 people with the surname Carbaugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,478), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Carbaugh.
Has Carbaugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carbaugh went from 3,184 recorded bearers to 3,033. That is a decrease of 151 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,122 to #10,129.
What does the Census say about the background of Carbaugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Carbaugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,797 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carbaugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Carbaugh (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 Carbaugh mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "kar" meaning a cart or wagon. 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 Carbaugh (1.01 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 Carbaugh?
You can see how many people have the last name Carbaugh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.