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

Carlisle, 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 Carlisle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carlisle in America

Carlisle is the 1763rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carlisle surname appeared 20,365 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Carlisle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carlisle 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 Carlisle

The surname Carlisle originated in England, and its roots can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the city of Carlisle, which is located in Cumbria, near the Scottish border. The name Carlisle itself comes from the Old English words "Caer Luel," meaning "the fort of Luel," referring to a Roman fort that was established in the area.

The earliest known record of the surname Carlisle appears in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1192, where a person named William de Carliol is mentioned. This spelling variation was common during that time, as surnames were still evolving and often derived from the names of places.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the city of Carlisle is recorded as "Caerleol," further reinforcing the origins of the name. The Domesday Book also mentions a landholder named Ranulf de Carliol, who was likely one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname.

One of the most notable figures in history with the surname Carlisle was Sir Andrew Carlisle (1542-1636), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1626 to 1628. Another prominent individual was Nicholas Carlisle (1771-1847), an English antiquary and topographer who served as the Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

The surname Carlisle also has connections to several place names, such as Carlisle Bay in Antigua and Barbuda, which was named after the Earl of Carlisle, as well as the city of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which was founded in 1751 and named after the English city.

Other notable individuals with the surname Carlisle include George Carlisle (1768-1848), an American politician and judge who served as a Representative from Kentucky; Lusiah P. Carlisle (1825-1905), an American politician and businessman who served as the Mayor of Vincennes, Indiana; and Thomas Carlisle (1803-1855), an English mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of calculus.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carlisle

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

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

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

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