2000
#18,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,385
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Carias
Derived from a place name referring to a village or settlement near a fortification or castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,151 Americans carry the last name Carias. That puts it at #11,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,776 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carias 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
3.2K
1 in 108,776
Census rank
#11,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,748 bearers of the surname Carias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carias
The surname Carias originated in Spain during the medieval period, likely derived from the Iberian word "caria" or "carias," which referred to a type of limestone rock or quarry. It's believed that the name was initially given to people who lived near or worked in limestone quarries, or those involved in the limestone trade.
The earliest known record of the Carias surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. It appears in several historical documents and records from that time period, often associated with individuals living in or around the cities of Seville and Cordoba.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Carias surname was Pedro Carias, a stonemason who lived in Seville during the late 13th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the construction of several notable buildings, including additions to the Alcázar of Seville, a royal palace.
In the 15th century, the Carias family gained prominence in the city of Cordoba, where several members held influential positions within the local government and the Catholic Church. Juan Carias, born in 1428, was a respected cleric and served as the Bishop of Cordoba from 1472 until his death in 1490.
Another notable figure was Alonso Carias, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Seville who lived during the 16th century. He played a significant role in financing Spain's exploration and colonization efforts in the Americas, contributing funds to expeditions led by famous explorers like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro.
During the 17th century, the Carias surname spread to other parts of Spain, as well as to Spanish colonies in the Americas. One individual of note was Diego Carias, born in 1625 in Seville, who became a renowned military officer and served as the governor of several Spanish territories in the West Indies.
In the 18th century, the Carias family established roots in Mexico, with several members becoming prominent landowners and influential figures in the region's agriculture and mining industries. One such individual was José Carias, born in 1712 in Veracruz, who amassed a considerable fortune through his mining operations and landholdings.
Over the centuries, the Carias surname has continued to be present in various parts of Spain, as well as in Latin American countries with significant Spanish heritage, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. While the specific origins and meanings of surnames can sometimes be obscured by time, the Carias name remains a distinct part of the cultural and historical tapestry of the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carias
Among Census respondents with the surname Carias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Carias 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 Carias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.2% · 2,560
- White4.7% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 31
- Two or more races0.5% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carias
Carias 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
#13,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,180
+795 bearers (+57.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 4,550 places
2020
#11,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,748
+568 bearers (+26.1%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 2,817 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,412 | 1,385 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,862 | 2,180 | 0.74 | +795 bearers (+57.4%) | Up 4,550 places |
| 2020 | #11,045 | 2,748 | 0.92 | +568 bearers (+26.1%) | Up 2,817 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 Carias 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 | #13,862 | #11,045 | 20.3% |
| Count | 2,180 | 2,748 | 26.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.92 | 24.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carias bearers went from 2,180 to 2,748 (+26.1% change). The surname moved up 2,817 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,862 to #11,045.
FAQ
Carias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carias?
Name Census estimates that about 3,151 living Americans carry the surname Carias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,776 residents.
How common is Carias?
Carias ranks #11,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,748 people with the surname Carias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,151), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Carias.
Has Carias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carias went from 2,180 recorded bearers to 2,748. That is an increase of 568 (+26.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,862 to #11,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Carias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Carias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (2,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.2%), White (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Carias (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 Carias mean?
Derived from a place name referring to a village or settlement near a fortification or castle. 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 Carias (0.92 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 common is the surname Carias?
Want to know how many people have the surname Carias? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.