Find out how popular the last name Carey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Carey.

Carey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Carey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carey in America

Carey is the 601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carey surname appeared 56,322 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Carey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Carey

The surname Carey is of Irish origin and derives from the Gaelic Ó Ciardha, meaning "descendant of Ciardhach." The name Ciardhach is believed to have been a personal name meaning "black" or "dark-featured." The name was first found in County Kilkenny, where the family was based for many centuries.

The Careys were a prominent Norman family who arrived in Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. They settled in County Kilkenny and became one of the most influential families in the region. The earliest recorded instance of the name Carey appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is spelled "Kari."

In the 14th century, the Careys of Croom Castle in County Limerick were notable members of the family. Sir John Carey, born around 1350, was Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1494 to 1495. His son, Sir Robert Carey, born in 1460, was a renowned soldier and served as Governor of Murvagh Castle.

The Domesday Book, a survey of England completed in 1086, does not mention the name Carey, likely because the family had not yet arrived in England from Normandy. However, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Robert de Kari in Oxfordshire, an early spelling variation of the name.

One of the most famous Careys in history was Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1524-1596), who served as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth I. He was a member of the Privy Council and a distinguished military leader during the Tudor period.

Another notable Carey was George Savile Carey (1743-1807), a British politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and held various government positions. He was also a prolific author and published works on history, politics, and philosophy.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded Careys was John Carey, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is considered the progenitor of many prominent Carey families in America, including the Careys of Maryland and Massachusetts.

Overall, the surname Carey has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with branches of the family later spreading to England and beyond, contributing to various fields such as politics, military, and literature over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Carey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Carey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Carey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Carey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carey, please contact us.

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