2000
#9,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,200
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Cardin
A French occupational surname referring to a carder of wool or a maker of wool cards.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,445 Americans carry the last name Cardin. That puts it at #10,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,493 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardin 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 99,493
Census rank
#10,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,004 bearers of the surname Cardin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardin, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardin
The surname Cardin has its origins in France, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the French word "cardine," which means "hinge." This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or a location connected to the manufacture or installation of hinges.
In ancient records, the name appears in various spellings, such as Cardin, Cardyn, and Cardine. One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the 13th-century French census rolls, where a certain Renaud Cardin is listed as a resident of Normandy.
During the 14th century, the name gained prominence in the region of Burgundy, where several members of the Cardin family were recorded as landowners and respected members of the local gentry. Notably, a certain Jean Cardin was mentioned in the Chronicles of Froissart, a famous historical work of the time, for his participation in the Hundred Years' War.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Paris, where a family of Cardins were prominent merchants and traders. One of them, Pierre Cardin (1470-1532), was a successful wool merchant and served as a city alderman.
As the name spread across France, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 16th century, a branch of the Cardin family settled in Italy, where they became known as the Cardini. One notable member of this family was Girolamo Cardini (1508-1576), a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in Rome.
Another prominent figure with the surname Cardin was Jacques Cardin (1557-1628), a French philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the field of moral philosophy. His works, such as "De la Sagesse" (On Wisdom), were widely read and influential during his time.
In the 18th century, the Cardin name gained further recognition with the birth of Pierre Cardin (1722-1798), a French painter and engraver. His works, particularly his engravings of famous Parisian landmarks, are still highly regarded in the art world.
Throughout history, the surname Cardin has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, scholars, and artists. While its origins may have been humble, the name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of France and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardin
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardin, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardin 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 Cardin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 2,569
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 197
- Two or more races4.3% · 128
- Black or African American1.8% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardin
Cardin 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
#10,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,177
-23 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 809 places
2020
#10,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,004
-173 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,346 | 3,200 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,155 | 3,177 | 1.08 | -23 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 809 places |
| 2020 | #10,212 | 3,004 | 1.01 | -173 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 57 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 Cardin 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 | #10,155 | #10,212 | -0.6% |
| Count | 3,177 | 3,004 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.01 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardin bearers went from 3,177 to 3,004 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,155 to #10,212.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cardin
FAQ
Cardin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,445 living Americans carry the surname Cardin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,493 residents.
How common is Cardin?
Cardin ranks #10,212 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 3,004 people with the surname Cardin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,445), 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 Cardin.
Has Cardin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardin went from 3,177 recorded bearers to 3,004. That is a decrease of 173 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,155 to #10,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardin, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Cardin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (2,569 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Cardin (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 Cardin mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a carder of wool or a maker of wool 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 Cardin (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 are called Cardin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Cardin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.