2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Carbiener
A French occupational surname derived from carbine, referring to a maker or user of carbine firearms.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Carbiener. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carbiener 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Carbiener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbiener, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carbiener
The surname CARBIENER has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Karbiner," which referred to a type of cavalry soldier armed with a carbine, a lightweight musket or firearm.
This surname likely originated in areas where such cavalrymen were prominent, possibly in regions with a strong military presence or a history of armed conflicts. The name may have been adopted by soldiers themselves or given to individuals associated with cavalry units or the production of carbine firearms.
Historical records mentioning individuals with the surname CARBIENER are relatively scarce, as it was not a widely common name. However, some early instances can be found in church registers and census rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries in various German states and principalities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname CARBIENER was Hans Carbiener, born in 1587 in the city of Nuremberg, which was known for its arms manufacturing and military prowess during that era. Another notable figure was Johann Carbiener, a cavalryman who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and was mentioned in several chronicles of the time.
In the 18th century, the CARBIENER surname gained wider recognition when Friedrich Carbiener (1722-1795) became a respected military strategist and tactician in the service of the Prussian army. His writings on cavalry tactics and firearms were highly influential in his time.
Another prominent individual was Carl Carbiener (1789-1864), a German artilleryman and inventor who designed and patented several innovations in firearm technology, including an early form of the revolver. His contributions were recognized by military circles across Europe.
As the surname spread beyond Germany, it maintained its association with military and firearms-related professions. In the 19th century, notable figures included August Carbiener (1815-1892), a Swiss gunsmith and entrepreneur who established a successful firearms manufacturing company in St. Gallen.
Throughout its history, the surname CARBIENER has maintained a strong connection to its military and firearms-related origins, though its bearers have also ventured into various other professions and walks of life over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carbiener
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbiener, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Carbiener 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 Carbiener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carbiener
Carbiener 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-16 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,972 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 24,972 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 5,104 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 Carbiener 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 | #153,769 | #148,665 | 3.3% |
| Count | 106 | 111 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carbiener bearers went from 106 to 111 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 5,104 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #148,665.
FAQ
Carbiener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carbiener?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Carbiener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Carbiener?
Carbiener ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Carbiener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Carbiener.
Has Carbiener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carbiener went from 106 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Carbiener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbiener, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Carbiener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carbiener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Carbiener (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 Carbiener mean?
A French occupational surname derived from carbine, referring to a maker or user of carbine firearms. 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 Carbiener (0.04 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 Carbiener?
You can see how many people have the last name Carbiener on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.