2000
#8,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Carino
Derived from the Italian word "carino," meaning dear, lovable, or cute, likely referring to an endearing personality trait.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,370 Americans carry the last name Carino. That puts it at #6,918 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carino 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
5.4K
1 in 63,828
Census rank
#6,918
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,683 bearers of the surname Carino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6918th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 39.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.7%) and White (17.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carino
The surname Carino is of Italian origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Campania in southern Italy, specifically around the city of Naples. The name is derived from the Italian word "carino," which means "lovely" or "dear," and was likely initially used as a nickname or descriptive term before becoming a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest known references to the Carino surname can be found in historical records from the Kingdom of Naples, where it appeared in documents as early as the 1200s. During this period, many Italian surnames began to emerge as families sought to establish distinct identities and lineages.
In the 14th century, the Carino name gained prominence in the city of Naples itself, where several notable individuals bearing the surname were recorded. One such figure was Giovanni Carino, a merchant and trader who lived in the mid-1300s and was known for his successful business ventures in the Mediterranean region.
By the 15th century, the Carino surname had spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Lazio and Tuscany. In Tuscany, there are records of a Carino family residing in the city of Florence during the Renaissance period. One member of this family, Alessandro Carino, was a renowned artist and sculptor who lived from 1460 to 1523.
As the centuries passed, the Carino name continued to be carried by notable individuals across various fields. In the 18th century, Antonio Carino (1683-1768) was a renowned philosopher and theologian from Naples who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Carino (1789-1865), a revolutionary and political activist who played a significant role in the Italian unification movement known as the Risorgimento. He was actively involved in the struggle for independence and unity, and his efforts contributed to the eventual formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
In the field of literature, the Carino surname was borne by the Italian writer and poet Gabriele Carino (1825-1892). He was a prominent figure in the Neapolitan literary scene and is renowned for his works that captured the essence of life in Naples during the 19th century.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the Carino surname throughout history, contributing to its rich legacy and cultural significance within Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carino
Among Census respondents with the surname Carino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 39.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.7%) and White (17.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Carino 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 Carino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino39.5% · 1,849
- Asian and Pacific Islander37.7% · 1,766
- White17.9% · 837
- Two or more races3.8% · 179
- Black or African American0.9% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carino
Carino 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
#6,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,373
+1,719 bearers (+47.0%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 1,990 places
2020
#6,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,683
-690 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,334 | 3,654 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,344 | 5,373 | 1.82 | +1,719 bearers (+47.0%) | Up 1,990 places |
| 2020 | #6,918 | 4,683 | 1.57 | -690 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 574 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 Carino 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 | #6,344 | #6,918 | -9.0% |
| Count | 5,373 | 4,683 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.82 | 1.57 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carino bearers went from 5,373 to 4,683 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 574 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,344 to #6,918.
FAQ
Carino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carino?
Name Census estimates that about 5,370 living Americans carry the surname Carino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,828 residents.
How common is Carino?
Carino ranks #6,918 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 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 4,683 people with the surname Carino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,370), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 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 Carino.
Has Carino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carino went from 5,373 recorded bearers to 4,683. That is a decrease of 690 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,344 to #6,918.
What does the Census say about the background of Carino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 39.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.7%) and White (17.9%). 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 Carino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.5% (1,849 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (39.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (37.7%), White (17.9%). 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 Carino (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 Carino mean?
Derived from the Italian word "carino," meaning dear, lovable, or cute, likely referring to an endearing personality trait. 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 Carino (1.57 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 Americans have the surname Carino?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.