Find out how popular the last name Carleton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Carleton.

Carleton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Carleton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carleton in America

Carleton is the 7753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carleton surname appeared 4,282 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Carleton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carleton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Carleton

The surname Carleton originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from several places in various counties, including Carleton in Norfolk, Carleton in Yorkshire, and Carlton in Cambridgeshire, among others. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "cær" meaning rock or stone, and "tun" meaning settlement or enclosure, essentially translating to "settlement by the rocks or stones."

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Carlentun and Carlentune, representing the places now known as Carleton in Norfolk and Carleton in Lincolnshire. These early spellings highlight the name's evolution over time.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname is William de Carleton, who lived in the late 12th century and held lands in Lincolnshire. Another notable figure is Sir Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (1724-1808), a British soldier and administrator who served as Governor of Quebec during the American Revolutionary War.

The surname Carleton has been associated with several prominent figures throughout history. Sir Dudley Carleton (1573-1632) was an English diplomat and politician who served as Ambassador to the Netherlands and later as Secretary of State. Thomas Carleton (1599-1666) was an English theologian and Bishop of Llandaff. Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (1724-1808), mentioned earlier, played a significant role in the defense of Quebec during the American Revolutionary War and later served as Governor-General of British North America.

In the United States, the name is closely associated with the Carleton family of Virginia, who settled in the colony in the 17th century. One notable member was Edward Carleton (1605-1675), a prominent planter and member of the House of Burgesses. Another notable American was Mark Alfred Carleton (1866-1925), a botanist and agronomist who made significant contributions to the study of plant breeding and crop improvement.

The Carleton surname has been present in various regions of England for centuries and has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, due to emigration. Despite variations in spelling, such as Carlton and Charlton, the name's origins can be traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon settlements in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carleton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Carleton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Carleton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Carleton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Carleton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carleton, please contact us.

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