2000
#2,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,532
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.65
Uncommon Last name
Card
An English occupational surname for someone who carded wool or made and sold playing cards.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,665 Americans carry the last name Card. That puts it at #3,716 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Card 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Card with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,138
Census rank
#3,716
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,300 bearers of the surname Card in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3716th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Card, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Card
The surname CARD is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "ceart," meaning a cart or wagon, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a carter or cartwright.
One of the earliest known references to the CARD surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1190, where a person named William Card is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in various parts of England.
In the 13th century, records from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire mention a Robert le Cartere, which is likely a variation of the CARD surname, further indicating its connection to the occupation of cart-making or transportation.
During the medieval period, the CARD surname appeared in various forms, such as Carte, Cartes, and Carde, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. John Carde (c. 1576 - 1654), an English lute player and composer during the Renaissance era.
2. Sir Thomas Carte (1686 - 1754), an English historian and writer, known for his work on the history of England.
3. Richard Carde (c. 1520 - 1570), an English Protestant author and polemicist during the Reformation period.
4. William Carde (fl. 1625 - 1638), an English clergyman and author who wrote about the practice of witchcraft in his time.
5. Henry Carde (c. 1588 - 1662), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.
In addition to these historical figures, the CARD surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Cardington in Bedfordshire, which may have influenced the development and spread of the name over time.
While the CARD surname has its roots in England, it has since been carried to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with people bearing this name found in various countries and cultures today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Card
Among Census respondents with the surname Card, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Card 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 Card surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 7,676
- Black or African American9.1% · 849
- Two or more races3.7% · 347
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 280
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 69
Timeline
Historical Census data for Card
Card 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
#3,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,742
-2,790 bearers (-22.3%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Down 999 places
2020
#3,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,300
-442 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.11
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,652 | 12,532 | 4.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,651 | 9,742 | 3.30 | -2,790 bearers (-22.3%) | Down 999 places |
| 2020 | #3,716 | 9,300 | 3.11 | -442 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 65 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 Card 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 | #3,651 | #3,716 | -1.8% |
| Count | 9,742 | 9,300 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.30 | 3.11 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Card bearers went from 9,742 to 9,300 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,651 to #3,716.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Card
FAQ
Card surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Card?
Name Census estimates that about 10,665 living Americans carry the surname Card. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,138 residents.
How common is Card?
Card ranks #3,716 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,300 people with the surname Card. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,665), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Card.
Has Card become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Card went from 9,742 recorded bearers to 9,300. That is a decrease of 442 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,651 to #3,716.
What does the Census say about the background of Card?
Among Census respondents with the surname Card, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Card in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (7,676 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Card appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Black (9.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Card (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 Card mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who carded wool or made and sold playing cards. 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 Card (3.11 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 have the surname Card?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.