2000
#7,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,997
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Carillo
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Carrillo, referring to someone from that location or with a connection to it.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,716 Americans carry the last name Carillo. That puts it at #6,542 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,964 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carillo 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
5.7K
1 in 59,964
Census rank
#6,542
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,985 bearers of the surname Carillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6542nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carillo
The surname Carillo is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "carrillo," which means "little cart" or "small wagon." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with carts or wagons, perhaps as a carter or a cartwright.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Carillo can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Castile, located in central Spain. It is likely that the name spread from this area to other parts of the country and eventually to Spanish colonies in the Americas during the Age of Exploration.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Carillo was Alonso Carillo de Albornoz, a 14th-century Spanish cardinal and military leader. Born in Cuenca, Spain, in 1310, he played a significant role in the papal government during the Avignon Papacy and was involved in the military campaigns against the Republic of Florence.
Another prominent figure was Pedro Carillo de Huete, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman and diplomat. He served as the ambassador of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, to the court of Pope Innocent VIII in Rome.
In the 16th century, Martín Carillo de Alderete, a Spanish humanist and scholar, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature. He was born in Baeza, Spain, in 1510 and is remembered for his work as a translator and editor.
Jumping ahead to the 18th century, José Miguel Carillo y Albornoz was a Spanish military officer and explorer. Born in Sevilla in 1721, he led several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest region of North America, where he explored and mapped parts of what is now the western coast of Canada and the United States.
Finally, María Teresa Carillo de Albornoz y Aguilera, a 19th-century Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist, is remembered for her charitable works and support of educational institutions. She was born in Madrid in 1810 and used her wealth and influence to establish schools and hospitals throughout Spain.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Carillo throughout history, showcasing its Spanish origins and the diverse roles and accomplishments of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Carillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Carillo 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 Carillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.2% · 4,050
- White11.5% · 573
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 270
- Black or African American0.7% · 36
- Two or more races0.6% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carillo
Carillo 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
#7,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,774
+777 bearers (+19.4%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Up 665 places
2020
#6,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,985
+211 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 473 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,680 | 3,997 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,015 | 4,774 | 1.62 | +777 bearers (+19.4%) | Up 665 places |
| 2020 | #6,542 | 4,985 | 1.67 | +211 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 473 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 Carillo 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 | #7,015 | #6,542 | 6.7% |
| Count | 4,774 | 4,985 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.67 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carillo bearers went from 4,774 to 4,985 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 473 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,015 to #6,542.
FAQ
Carillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carillo?
Name Census estimates that about 5,716 living Americans carry the surname Carillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,964 residents.
How common is Carillo?
Carillo ranks #6,542 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,985 people with the surname Carillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,716), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Carillo.
Has Carillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carillo went from 4,774 recorded bearers to 4,985. That is an increase of 211 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,015 to #6,542.
What does the Census say about the background of Carillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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 Carillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (4,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.2%), White (11.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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 Carillo (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 Carillo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Carrillo, referring to someone from that location or with a connection to it. 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 Carillo (1.67 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 share the surname Carillo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.