2000
#9,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Carcamo
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "field of thistles" or "artichoke field."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,883 Americans carry the last name Carcamo. That puts it at #5,592 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,797 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carcamo 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
6.9K
1 in 49,797
Census rank
#5,592
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,002 bearers of the surname Carcamo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5592nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carcamo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carcamo
The surname Cárcamo is of Spanish origin and dates back to the medieval period in Spain. The earliest records indicate that it originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a sluice or channel used for irrigation purposes. The name is derived from the Spanish word "cárcamo," which translates to "sluice" or "watergate."
In the 13th century, the Cárcamo family can be traced to the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. Historical records from this period mention individuals bearing the name Cárcamo residing in cities like Seville and Córdoba. The name's connection to water management systems suggests that the early bearers of this surname may have been involved in agriculture or related occupations.
One of the earliest documented references to the Cárcamo name can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties among the Christian conquerors of Seville after the Reconquista. This document lists several individuals with the surname Cárcamo, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
As the Cárcamo family spread throughout Spain, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Carcamo, Cárcamo, and Carcamo. These variations were common due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions in the past.
Notable individuals with the surname Cárcamo throughout history include:
1. Rodrigo Cárcamo (c. 1460-1535), a Spanish military leader and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés.
2. Alonso Cárcamo (c. 1520-1590), a Spanish poet and playwright from Seville, known for his works in the Renaissance literary tradition.
3. María Cárcamo (c. 1570-1640), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Granada.
4. Juan Cárcamo y Hurtado (1628-1690), a Spanish nobleman and landowner from Córdoba, who served as a local magistrate.
5. Pedro Cárcamo Alvear (1778-1848), a Chilean military officer and politician who played a role in the country's struggle for independence from Spain.
While the Cárcamo surname originated in Spain, it has since spread to other regions through migration and conquest, particularly to Latin American countries with significant Spanish influence, such as Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. The name continues to be carried by individuals of Spanish descent worldwide, serving as a testament to its rich historical roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carcamo
Among Census respondents with the surname Carcamo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Carcamo 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 Carcamo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.7% · 5,624
- White3.6% · 219
- Black or African American1.7% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 28
- Two or more races0.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carcamo
Carcamo 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
#6,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,205
+2,087 bearers (+66.9%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Up 3,051 places
2020
#5,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,002
+797 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Up 924 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,567 | 3,118 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,516 | 5,205 | 1.76 | +2,087 bearers (+66.9%) | Up 3,051 places |
| 2020 | #5,592 | 6,002 | 2.01 | +797 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 924 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 Carcamo 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 | #6,516 | #5,592 | 14.2% |
| Count | 5,205 | 6,002 | 15.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.76 | 2.01 | 14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carcamo bearers went from 5,205 to 6,002 (+15.3% change). The surname moved up 924 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,516 to #5,592.
FAQ
Carcamo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carcamo?
Name Census estimates that about 6,883 living Americans carry the surname Carcamo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,797 residents.
How common is Carcamo?
Carcamo ranks #5,592 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,002 people with the surname Carcamo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,883), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Carcamo.
Has Carcamo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carcamo went from 5,205 recorded bearers to 6,002. That is an increase of 797 (+15.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,516 to #5,592.
What does the Census say about the background of Carcamo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carcamo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Carcamo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (5,624 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carcamo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.7%), White (3.6%), Black (1.7%). 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 Carcamo (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 Carcamo mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "field of thistles" or "artichoke field." 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 Carcamo (2.01 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 share the surname Carcamo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.