2000
#66,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 278
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Carion
A surname likely deriving from the French word "carion" meaning carrion or decaying flesh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 272 Americans carry the last name Carion. That puts it at #85,054 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,260,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carion 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
272
1 in 1,260,126
Census rank
#85,054
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
237
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 237 bearers of the surname Carion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 85054th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.5%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carion
The surname Carion originated in France during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "cariön," which referred to a person who transported goods or provisions. This occupational name was likely given to individuals who worked as carters or haulers, responsible for transporting goods by cart or wagon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Carion can be found in the Armorial Général, a collection of French family coats of arms from the late 17th century. The name is also mentioned in various historical documents from the region of Normandy, suggesting that the surname may have originated in this area of northern France.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean Carion was recorded as a merchant and landowner in the town of Rouen, Normandy. Another early bearer of the name was Pierre Carion, a lawyer who lived in Paris during the 15th century and was known for his work on legal reforms.
During the 16th century, a French historian named Jean Carion (1499-1537) gained recognition for his work titled "Chronique de France," a comprehensive chronicle of French history. This work was widely circulated and served as an important source for historians of the time.
In the 17th century, a renowned French physicist and mathematician named Jacques Carion (1615-1673) made significant contributions to the field of optics. He is best known for his research on the properties of lenses and his work on the construction of telescopes.
Another notable figure was François Carion (1735-1796), a French playwright and author who wrote several successful comedies and satires during the Age of Enlightenment.
While the surname Carion originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carion
Among Census respondents with the surname Carion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.5%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Carion 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 Carion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino48.5% · 115
- White39.7% · 94
- Two or more races5.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 11
- Black or African American1.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carion
Carion 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
#105,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
-109 bearers (-39.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 39,124 places
2020
#85,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 237
+68 bearers (+40.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 20,546 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,476 | 278 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #105,600 | 169 | 0.06 | -109 bearers (-39.2%) | Down 39,124 places |
| 2020 | #85,054 | 237 | 0.08 | +68 bearers (+40.2%) | Up 20,546 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 Carion 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 | #105,600 | #85,054 | 19.5% |
| Count | 169 | 237 | 40.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.08 | 32.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carion bearers went from 169 to 237 (+40.2% change). The surname moved up 20,546 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,600 to #85,054.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Carion
FAQ
Carion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carion?
Name Census estimates that about 272 living Americans carry the surname Carion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,260,126 residents.
How common is Carion?
Carion ranks #85,054 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 237 people with the surname Carion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (272), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Carion.
Has Carion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carion went from 169 recorded bearers to 237. That is an increase of 68 (+40.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #105,600 to #85,054.
What does the Census say about the background of Carion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carion, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 48.5%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Carion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.5% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (48.5%), White (39.7%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Carion (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 Carion mean?
A surname likely deriving from the French word "carion" meaning carrion or decaying flesh. 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 Carion (0.08 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 Carion?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.