2000
#8,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,529
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Carlo
An Italian surname derived from the given name Carlo, meaning "free man" or "strong."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,996 Americans carry the last name Carlo. That puts it at #9,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,774 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carlo 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 Carlo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,774
Census rank
#9,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,485 bearers of the surname Carlo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carlo
The surname Carlo is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian personal name Carlo, which is the Italian form of the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man" or "husband." The name was originally used as a first name but later adopted as a surname.
Carlo is a widespread surname in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto, where it has been recorded since the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century.
During the Renaissance period, several notable figures bore the surname Carlo. One of the most famous was Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793), an Italian playwright and librettist who was a leading figure in the Italian literary movement known as the Commedia dell'Arte.
Another notable Carlo was Carlo Borromeo (1538-1584), a Italian Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Milan. He was known for his reforms and charitable works, and he was canonized as a saint in 1610.
In the 19th century, Carlo Collodi (1826-1890), the Italian writer and journalist best known for his children's book "The Adventures of Pinocchio," was born under the name Carlo Lorenzini and later adopted the pen name Collodi.
Moving into the 20th century, Carlo Levi (1902-1975) was an Italian writer, painter, and political activist who gained fame for his memoir "Christ Stopped at Eboli," which explored the poverty and social injustice in Southern Italy during the fascist era.
Another notable figure was Carlo Ponti (1912-2007), an Italian film producer and husband of the famous actress Sophia Loren. He produced several successful films throughout his career, including "Doctor Zhivago" and "Blow-Up."
While the surname Carlo has its roots in Italy, it has also been adopted in other countries, particularly in areas with significant Italian immigration, such as the United States and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carlo
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Carlo 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 Carlo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.8% · 2,048
- Hispanic or Latino35.0% · 1,221
- Black or African American2.0% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 56
- Two or more races1.5% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carlo
Carlo 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
#8,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,942
+413 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 188 places
2020
#9,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,485
-457 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 615 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,583 | 3,529 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,395 | 3,942 | 1.34 | +413 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 188 places |
| 2020 | #9,010 | 3,485 | 1.17 | -457 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 615 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 Carlo 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 | #8,395 | #9,010 | -7.3% |
| Count | 3,942 | 3,485 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.17 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carlo bearers went from 3,942 to 3,485 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 615 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,395 to #9,010.
FAQ
Carlo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carlo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,996 living Americans carry the surname Carlo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,774 residents.
How common is Carlo?
Carlo ranks #9,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,485 people with the surname Carlo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,996), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Carlo.
Has Carlo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carlo went from 3,942 recorded bearers to 3,485. That is a decrease of 457 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,395 to #9,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Carlo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Carlo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.8% (2,048 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carlo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.8%), Hispanic (35.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Carlo (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 Carlo mean?
An Italian surname derived from the given name Carlo, meaning "free man" or "strong." 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 Carlo (1.17 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 people are called Carlo?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Carlo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.