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

Carlin, 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 Carlin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carlin in America

Carlin is the 2977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carlin surname appeared 12,035 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Carlin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carlin 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 Carlin

The surname Carlin is of Irish and Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Caralan" or "Carlain", which is thought to be a diminutive form of the Old Norse name "Carl" or "Karlr". The name Carl was derived from the Germanic word "karl", meaning a free man or a husband.

The Carlin surname is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century in the Scottish Highlands and the northern counties of Ireland. It was particularly common in areas with strong Scottish or Norse influence, such as the Scottish Isles, the Western Isles, and parts of Ulster.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Carlin surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a person named "Gillecrist Carlyn" is mentioned. The name also appears in various Scottish and Irish records and manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries, with various spellings such as Carlyne, Carlyne, and Carlyn.

In the 16th century, the Carlin surname can be found in the records of the Scottish Clan Mackinnon, which had a strong presence in the Hebrides islands. One notable member of the clan was Lachlan Carlin Mackinnon, who was born in 1580 and served as a chief of the clan.

Another notable figure with the Carlin surname was John Carlin, an Irish Catholic priest and author who lived in the 17th century. He was born in County Monaghan in 1625 and wrote several religious works, including a book titled "The English Concordance of the Bible".

In the 18th century, the Carlin surname was carried to various parts of the world by Scottish and Irish emigrants. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Carlin, an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in County Armagh in 1752 and later settled in Pennsylvania.

The 19th century saw several notable individuals with the Carlin surname, including John Carlin, an Irish-born American politician who served as the 7th Governor of Illinois from 1838 to 1842. He was born in Westmeath, Ireland in 1786 and later emigrated to the United States.

Another notable figure was William Passmore Carlin, an American painter and artist who was born in Philadelphia in 1857. He is known for his landscape paintings and his work as an illustrator for various publications.

Overall, the Carlin surname has a rich history that can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and the northern counties of Ireland, with roots in the Gaelic and Old Norse languages. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clan chiefs, priests, soldiers, politicians, and artists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carlin

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

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 Carlin 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 Carlin 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 Carlin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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