2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Carkeek
A Cornish surname derived from a place name meaning "rock's ravine".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144 Americans carry the last name Carkeek. That puts it at #137,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,380,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carkeek 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
144
1 in 2,380,238
Census rank
#137,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126 bearers of the surname Carkeek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 137553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carkeek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carkeek
The surname Carkeek originates from Cornwall, a county in the southwest of England, and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to derive from the Cornish place name Cargyk, which itself comes from the words "car" meaning a rock or tor, and "gyk" meaning a ridge or joining piece of land. Historically, this name would have referred to a prominent geographical feature near where the first bearer lived.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Carkeek surname is found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from 1284, listing one Richard de Cargyk. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Cornwall in 1334 as Cargyk. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Carkeek.
In the 16th century, the Carkeek family was well-established in the Cornish parish of St. Hilary. John Carkeek (1544-1622) was a prominent member of this family and served as the High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1604. His son, Sir Robert Carkeek (1585-1659), was knighted in 1618 and became an influential figure in local politics.
Another notable Carkeek was Richard Carkeek (1672-1748), a Cornish engineer and inventor who pioneered the use of steam power in mining operations. His innovations helped pave the way for the Industrial Revolution in Cornwall.
During the 18th century, some members of the Carkeek family emigrated to the Americas, including John Carkeek (1710-1788) who settled in Virginia and became a successful plantation owner. His descendant, William Carkeek (1762-1832), served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
In more recent times, Herbert Carkeek (1885-1959) was a respected British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Lancaster Hotel.
While the Carkeek surname is most prevalent in Cornwall and the surrounding regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and is now found in various countries. However, its roots can be traced back to the rocky ridges and tors of the Cornish landscape from which it derived its name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carkeek
Among Census respondents with the surname Carkeek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Carkeek 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 Carkeek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 115
- Two or more races4.8% · 6
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carkeek
Carkeek 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,830 places
2020
#137,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+3 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,830 places |
| 2020 | #137,553 | 126 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 1,104 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 Carkeek 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 | #136,449 | #137,553 | -0.8% |
| Count | 123 | 126 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carkeek bearers went from 123 to 126 (+2.4% change). The surname moved down 1,104 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #137,553.
FAQ
Carkeek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carkeek?
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the surname Carkeek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,380,238 residents.
How common is Carkeek?
Carkeek ranks #137,553 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 126 people with the surname Carkeek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Carkeek.
Has Carkeek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carkeek went from 123 recorded bearers to 126. That is an increase of 3 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #137,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Carkeek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carkeek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Carkeek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carkeek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Black (1.6%). 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 Carkeek (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 Carkeek mean?
A Cornish surname derived from a place name meaning "rock's ravine". 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 Carkeek (0.04 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 Carkeek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.