2000
#12,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Carbonell
A Catalan occupational surname referring to a charcoal maker or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,400 Americans carry the last name Carbonell. That puts it at #10,329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carbonell 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
3.4K
1 in 100,810
Census rank
#10,329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,965 bearers of the surname Carbonell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbonell, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.3%) and White (13.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carbonell
The surname Carbonell is of Spanish origin, deriving from the Spanish word "carbon" which means coal or charcoal. It likely emerged as an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a charcoal burner or dealer. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 13th century in the region of Catalonia, Spain.
During the Middle Ages, the name Carbonell was particularly prevalent in the areas around Barcelona and Valencia. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "carbo" which also means coal or charcoal. Some variations in spelling include Carbonel, Carbonelli, and Carbonelle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Catalonian record of Sant Cugat del Vallès, dated 1265, which mentions a certain "Petrus Carbonelli." Another early reference is from the Llibre del Repartiment, a manuscript documenting the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista, where a "Bernat Carbonell" is listed.
Notable individuals with the surname Carbonell throughout history include Joan Carbonell (c. 1335-1418), a Catalan painter and illuminator of manuscripts during the Gothic period. In the 15th century, Mateu Carbonell (c. 1440-1517) was a Catalan chronicler and archivist who recorded important events during the reigns of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
In the 16th century, Pedro Juan Carbonell (c. 1500-1570) was a Spanish scholar and humanist who served as the royal librarian to Charles V. Another notable figure was Miquel Carbonell (1540-1600), a Catalan composer and musician who worked in the court of Philip II of Spain.
During the 17th century, Pedro Carbonell (1590-1663) was a Spanish theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics.
While many variations of the name exist, Carbonell remains a prominent surname in Spain, particularly in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, where it originated. Its connection to the historical coal and charcoal industry has been preserved through its etymology and continues to be a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carbonell
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbonell, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.3%) and White (13.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Carbonell 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 Carbonell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino65.8% · 1,952
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.3% · 513
- White13.1% · 389
- Two or more races2.7% · 79
- Black or African American1.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carbonell
Carbonell 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
#11,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,718
+536 bearers (+24.6%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 1,348 places
2020
#10,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,965
+247 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 1,239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,916 | 2,182 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,568 | 2,718 | 0.92 | +536 bearers (+24.6%) | Up 1,348 places |
| 2020 | #10,329 | 2,965 | 0.99 | +247 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 1,239 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 Carbonell 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 | #11,568 | #10,329 | 10.7% |
| Count | 2,718 | 2,965 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.99 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carbonell bearers went from 2,718 to 2,965 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 1,239 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,568 to #10,329.
FAQ
Carbonell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carbonell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,400 living Americans carry the surname Carbonell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,810 residents.
How common is Carbonell?
Carbonell ranks #10,329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,965 people with the surname Carbonell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,400), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Carbonell.
Has Carbonell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carbonell went from 2,718 recorded bearers to 2,965. That is an increase of 247 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,568 to #10,329.
What does the Census say about the background of Carbonell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carbonell, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.3%) and White (13.1%). 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 Carbonell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (1,952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carbonell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (65.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.3%), White (13.1%). 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 Carbonell (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 Carbonell mean?
A Catalan occupational surname referring to a charcoal maker or seller. 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 Carbonell (0.99 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 surname Carbonell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.