2000
#7,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.51
Rare Last name
Carleton
A locational surname derived from various places in England, likely referring to a settlement or town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,564 Americans carry the last name Carleton. That puts it at #7,981 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carleton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Carleton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,100
Census rank
#7,981
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,980 bearers of the surname Carleton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7981st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carleton
Among Census respondents with the surname Carleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Carleton 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 Carleton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 3,586
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 137
- Two or more races3.2% · 127
- Black or African American1.8% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carleton
Carleton 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
#7,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,282
+205 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 225 places
2020
#7,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,980
-302 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,528 | 4,077 | 1.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,753 | 4,282 | 1.45 | +205 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 225 places |
| 2020 | #7,981 | 3,980 | 1.33 | -302 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 228 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 Carleton 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 | #7,753 | #7,981 | -2.9% |
| Count | 4,282 | 3,980 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.33 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carleton bearers went from 4,282 to 3,980 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 228 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,753 to #7,981.
FAQ
Carleton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carleton?
Name Census estimates that about 4,564 living Americans carry the surname Carleton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,100 residents.
How common is Carleton?
Carleton ranks #7,981 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,980 people with the surname Carleton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,564), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Carleton.
Has Carleton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carleton went from 4,282 recorded bearers to 3,980. That is a decrease of 302 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,753 to #7,981.
What does the Census say about the background of Carleton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Carleton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,586 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carleton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Carleton (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 Carleton mean?
A locational surname derived from various places in England, likely referring to a settlement or town. 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 Carleton (1.33 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 Carleton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.