2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Carmain
A variant spelling of the French surname Carmain, derived from a Germanic personal name or "carman" referring to a carter or wagon driver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Carmain. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carmain 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Carmain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmain, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carmain
The surname Carmain has its origins in France, tracing back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "carne," meaning "meat" or "flesh," combined with the suffix "-ain," indicating a relationship or association. This surname likely originated as a descriptive name for individuals involved in the meat trade, such as butchers, hunters, or merchants dealing with meat products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carmain appears in the 13th-century cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, where a certain Jehan Carmain is mentioned as a resident of the nearby village of Ivry-sur-Seine. In the same century, there are records of the Carmain family in the region of Champagne, with variations in spelling, including Carmain, Charmain, and Charmaisne.
During the 14th century, the Carmain name gained prominence in the city of Reims, where several members of the family held influential positions. Notably, Pierre Carmain (c. 1320-1390) was a respected merchant and alderman who played a significant role in the city's affairs. His son, Jacques Carmain (c. 1355-1422), continued the family's legacy as a successful trader and served as a city councilor.
In the 15th century, the Carmains were well-established in the Burgundian territories, with several branches of the family residing in Dijon, Beaune, and other nearby towns. One notable figure from this era was Jean Carmain (c. 1430-1498), a prominent lawyer and legal advisor to the Dukes of Burgundy.
The Carmain name also appeared in various historical records across France during the 16th and 17th centuries. For instance, a certain Étienne Carmain (c. 1550-1620) was a renowned scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious philosophy. In the 17th century, Antoine Carmain (c. 1625-1695) was a skilled architect who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Paris.
As the Carmain family spread across France and beyond, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, including Carmaine, Charmaine, and Charmain. Some notable individuals bearing these variant spellings include the French writer Gabrielle Charmaine (c. 1780-1850), whose works explored themes of love and romance, and the English actor and playwright Dermot Charmain (c. 1910-1985), known for his contributions to the theater world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carmain
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmain, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Carmain 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 Carmain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 85
- Two or more races6.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carmain
Carmain 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,421 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,421 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 3,162 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 Carmain 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 | #158,432 | #155,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 102 | 101 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carmain bearers went from 102 to 101 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #155,270.
FAQ
Carmain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carmain?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Carmain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Carmain?
Carmain ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Carmain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Carmain.
Has Carmain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carmain went from 102 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Carmain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carmain, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Carmain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carmain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Carmain (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 Carmain mean?
A variant spelling of the French surname Carmain, derived from a Germanic personal name or "carman" referring to a carter or wagon driver. 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 Carmain (0.03 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 have the last name Carmain?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Carmain on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.