2000
#29,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 769
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Carfagno
An Italian surname likely derived from the words "carro" meaning cart and "fango" meaning mud.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 844 Americans carry the last name Carfagno. That puts it at #33,336 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 406,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carfagno 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
844
1 in 406,107
Census rank
#33,336
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
736
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 736 bearers of the surname Carfagno in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33336th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carfagno, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carfagno
The surname Carfagno has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of the country, and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "carfactus," which means "carved" or "sculpted," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a skilled craftsman or sculptor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carfagno can be found in a document from the city of Naples, dated 1204. This document mentions a certain Giovanni Carfagno, who was a respected stonemason in the region. It is likely that his ancestors were also involved in similar crafts, leading to the adoption of the surname.
In the 13th century, the name Carfagno appeared in various records from the town of Salerno, located in the Campania region of Italy. These records include mentions of several members of the Carfagno family, who were active in the local trade and commerce sectors.
A notable figure bearing the surname Carfagno was Antonio Carfagno, a renowned painter who lived in the 15th century. Born in the city of Bari in 1428, he is best known for his religious works and frescoes that adorned several churches in southern Italy. Antonio Carfagno's artistic contributions helped to establish the name's association with creativity and artistic expression.
Another influential individual with the surname Carfagno was Giulio Carfagno, a philosopher and scholar who lived in the 16th century. Born in Naples in 1520, he authored several treatises on ethics and moral philosophy, which gained recognition throughout Italy and beyond.
In the 17th century, the Carfagno family spread to other parts of Italy, with records indicating their presence in cities like Rome and Florence. One notable member from this period was Luca Carfagno, a skilled architect who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Rome during the 1670s.
As the centuries passed, the Carfagno surname continued to be associated with various professions and trades, including artisans, merchants, and intellectuals. While not as widespread as some other Italian surnames, the name Carfagno has maintained its presence throughout the country, particularly in the southern regions where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carfagno
Among Census respondents with the surname Carfagno, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Carfagno 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 Carfagno surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 680
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 28
- Two or more races3.0% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carfagno
Carfagno 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
#30,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 782
+13 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 973 places
2020
#33,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 736
-46 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 3,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,040 | 769 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,013 | 782 | 0.27 | +13 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 973 places |
| 2020 | #33,336 | 736 | 0.25 | -46 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 3,323 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 Carfagno 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 | #30,013 | #33,336 | -11.1% |
| Count | 782 | 736 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.25 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carfagno bearers went from 782 to 736 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 3,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,013 to #33,336.
FAQ
Carfagno surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carfagno?
Name Census estimates that about 844 living Americans carry the surname Carfagno. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 406,107 residents.
How common is Carfagno?
Carfagno ranks #33,336 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 736 people with the surname Carfagno. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Carfagno.
Has Carfagno become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carfagno went from 782 recorded bearers to 736. That is a decrease of 46 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,013 to #33,336.
What does the Census say about the background of Carfagno?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carfagno, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Carfagno in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carfagno appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Carfagno (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 Carfagno mean?
An Italian surname likely derived from the words "carro" meaning cart and "fango" meaning mud. 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 Carfagno (0.25 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 Carfagno?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Carfagno is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.